Shaahid sat like a ghost on the bed, staring at his phone.

A long message lit the entire screen.

' I wish I could send a letter again. But did not see Zafar in a while.

Abbu got my mind. He's finally getting me married by hook or by crook.
Isn't it funny how I was talking of getting hitched just recently, and now it's happening for real?

Maybe Abbu too has realised that my increasing weirdness at 33, will get me in immense trouble. Me, or him? Let's not talk about that.

Three days to now, people from Chittagong are coming to see my face, body, chest, eyes, booty. They'll mark me out of 10 and then choose or unchoose me. Abbu is confident I'll be chosen.

I too am. Because, this time I'm in. With all my will. My wait of fifteen years finally ends.

You are not invited to my Nikah.

No more yours,
Alvira. '

Shaahid dialed her number.
Unanswered.

He switched off the phone.

And shouted after sometime,

" Sophiaaaa, Rubinaaa .....

I need help! "

______

10, Mochipara Road, Lalan

Shaahid matched the address and stood before a huge mansion under renovation and construction.

He pressed the bell.

After a long time the door opened, but instead of a human, a shoe came flying that missed its target.

A woman's shrill voice was heard,
" For the millionth time, I don't need condoms, I sleep miles away from my fat husband!!  "

With this a tiny kid who looked like a mouse and had probably opened the door, ran outside to collect the shoe.

Dumbstruck, Shaahid stared at the kid who ran back inside and vanished but the door remained open.

" Ermm.. I am not a condom seller madam. I am Adnan's sir's employee. A teacher. Can I come inside please? "

Silence for sometime. Then a very tall woman who looked more like an ostrich came out.

" Oo..
I'm sorry. These salespersons are so nagging. They don't even try to understand that every human doesn't need everything.

Go upstairs. He's in the first room near the staircase. "

Shaahid was relieved.
At least the wife of the hippo was not devastating.
No doubt she slept away from her husband.

Adnan Sami lay on the couch and munched chips.

He was terrified to watch Shaahid walk in.

" Aaaah....
Why are you here?
Look, I really don't think that making my uncle talk is a very good idea.

He's sleeping peacefully in his room and doesn't even want to return to this talkative world. I swear. "

Shaahid grinned, pulled in a chair and sat down.

" Adnan Sami Sir, I heard you are typhoid struck. How are you now? "

Adnan Sami was not at all in peace to have this dangerous future teller around.
" I am good. But, don't tell me you are here to ask my well being. "

Shaahid grinned.
" Why do you think no one can think good about you? 
And if you really feel so, why don't you change yourself? "

Adnan frowned more.
" I don't need your advice much.
Tell me what you're here for. "

" I need to know how your cousin died. " , Shaahid said with a straight face.

Adnan Sami suddenly straightened.
" Everyone knows how Salman Siddiqui died. You have been sent by that Sakina, right? She's a mad woman. Ask her to get herself and her family treated first. "

" Wait.

I'm here out of my own interest.
I don't know how he died.
Tell me again. "

" Really? You know everything on earth, and you don't know how he died?
He died when his car was hit by a truck. He and the taxi driver both died on spot. "

" Okay. So after his death, you got the entire property which would instead be given to him if he was alive. " , Shaahid smiled.

" Yesss, I got the property. It was my right. " , Adnan Sami suddenly began shouting.
" That cunning liar Salman Siddiqui was brainwashing and cheating on my uncle. He deserved to die, but I did not kill him!! "

" Calm down please, neither did I blame you. "

" But you are trying to!!! You are here suddenly asking me how Salman died when everyone knows how he died!!! "

" But everyone doesn't know something I know. You hired a contract killer Jaggu to kill him eight months back. " , Shaahid settled more comfortably.

Adnan Sami looked as if he was just thrashed in cold water.
He stared dumb for sometime.

" Okay. Let's get back to this later.
You tell me, why did you say Salman was a liar. "

Adnan Sami looked extremely tired. Then meekly asked,
" Will I be sent to jail just for hiring a contract killer? "

" You answer me first. "

" Because he was a liar. He was cunning. He was handsome, calm, composed, soft-spoken, and everyone thought he was perfect. But it was all a facade.

He convinced uncle that he was the best heir to this property. Even though his mother was a black spot to the family. He convinced he was the most suited. "

" But if your uncle already hated you, how do you expect him to transfer everything to you?
He would definitely give them away to some other descendent, with or without being convinced. " , Shaahid sounded confused.

" No. He would not.
He would not transfer his money to a descendant who did not have dependant people and further descendants.
I have a wife, children. I was more suited. " , Adnan was burning.

Shaahid shrugged.
" But he too had a fiance. He too would produce descendants after marriage. "

" Bullshit!!! 
That mad woman Sakina, felt madly for him. And he only used her as a pon to be shown to his uncle that he was going to marry soon.

He would have never married her. " , he wiped the sweat appearing on his terribly fat face.
" He was cheating not only upon uncle, but also upon this woman. She was terribly after him, and he used that to his favour. "

Shaahid stared for a long time.

" You mean, he did not love Sakina. He would not marry her. But he could've married anyone else, and produce descendants. Isn't it? "

" No. He could not marry anyone on earth.

Because Salman Siddiqui, was a gay. "

A long moment passed..
Because Shaahid was taking time to gather his mind that had just exploded. Already he was not doing well since morning.

He got up.

" Wait!! Where are you going?
Let me clear you regarding the contract killer, please!!! " , Adnan Sami looked like a cry baby.

Shaahid stood silently.

" Yes, I had hired a contract killer for killing him when he was returning from Dariyaganj that day.

I received a call too that he was dead, work was done without any clue.

I was relieved, uncle got a stroke, he got paralysed, I received all the money, but I had lost my sleep. My peace. My everything.

Then, one day Jaggu came to my school. I was dumbstruck.
Surprisingly, he returned me the money, and told me that he had quitted lying. That he had not killed Salman, so could not take the money. That, he had really died in an accident.

I wanted to dance. I wanted to cry in joy. A burden was relieved. "

Shaahid nodded.
" I knew it. "

Adnan stared at him like a ghost.

" You knew? The whole of it? "

" I knew upto this. Is there something more to make it a whole? " , Shaahid sat back.

Adnan blinked his eyes.

_____

Half an hour later, Shaahid came down the house. With a heavy heart.

The day was bad.

Before returning home, he needed to go to another place.

To the doctor, who watched the belly.

Shaahid checked the phone for a call back, or a message.

Not a single notification beeped on his screen.

He sighed.

A deep sigh.