Chapter 5: A Khan never fails
572 Words
By the time Zayan Khan left the crime scene, darkness had already fallen over Karachi.
The ride to the Khan mansion was silent.
No phone calls.
No conversations.
No updates.
Only one thought repeated in his mind.
Amina.
His little sister was missing.
And he had no idea where she was.
The gates of the Khan estate opened immediately as the SUV approached.
Security guards lined the entrance.
House staff stood nervously near the front doors.
Everyone already knew.
Amina Khan was missing.
The moment Zayan stepped inside the mansion, he was met with silence.
Not the peaceful kind.
The dangerous kind.
The kind that came before a storm.
His mother sat on one of the sofas, tears visible in her eyes.
Farah Khan rarely cried.
Seeing her like that tightened something inside him.
"Ami..."
She stood immediately.
"Have you found her?"
Zayan hated the disappointment that crossed her face when he shook his head.
"No."
Farah covered her mouth.
Fresh tears filled her eyes.
Before she could speak again, another voice cut through the room.
Cold.
Sharp.
Disappointed.
"You failed."
Zayan turned.
Ibrahim Khan stood at the top of the staircase.
His father looked as powerful as ever.
But tonight, there was anger in his eyes.
Pure anger.
The room became completely still.
Nobody dared speak.
Nobody dared move.
Ibrahim slowly descended the stairs.
Each step seemed heavier than the last.
He stopped directly in front of Zayan.
"Where is your sister?"
"I don't know."
The answer had barely left his mouth when a loud crack echoed through the room.
Farah gasped.
The staff lowered their heads.
Zayan's face turned slightly from the force of the slap.
But he didn't react.
Didn't move.
Didn't say a word.
His father stared at him.
"A Khan protects his family before anything else."
Silence.
"You were supposed to protect her."
Zayan clenched his jaw.
"I know."
"No."
Ibrahim's voice hardened.
"You don't."
The older man pointed toward the door.
"While you were busy running businesses and making deals, someone took your sister."
The words hit harder than the slap.
Because there was truth in them.
And everyone knew it.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Farah stepped forward.
"Enough."
Her voice trembled.
"We need to find Amina, not fight each other."
Ibrahim looked away first.
His anger remained.
But so did something else.
Fear.
For the first time, Zayan realized his father was terrified.
Not for the family empire.
Not for their reputation.
For Amina.
---
Meanwhile...
Police Headquarters.
I rubbed my tired eyes and stared at the evidence board.
The bracelet.
The victim.
The fake death certificate.
The missing girl.
The pieces were scattered everywhere.
But they weren't fitting together.
Not yet.
Most of the officers had already gone home.
I was still here.
Still staring.
Still thinking.
There had to be something we missed.
Something small.
Something everyone overlooked.
My eyes landed on a photograph from the university parking lot.
I froze.
Then leaned forward.
"Wait..."
I grabbed the picture.
There.
In the reflection of a nearby car window.
A partial license plate.
Barely visible.
Almost impossible to notice.
Almost.
Excitement rushed through me.
I immediately reached for my phone.
"Bilal, I found something."
"What?"
"I think I know where to start looking."
For the first time since Amina Khan disappeared, I felt like we were finally moving in the right direction.
And if I was right...
Amina might still be alive.
- Writer
