Hired Bride

CHAPTER - 8

"Dadu please let me go. I promise I'll be home before sunset." Zara pleaded her grandmother, battling her eye lashes innocently.

"Zara, your grandfather will not allow you to go out of the city without any guardian." It was difficult for Anjum to say no to her beloved granddaughter, so she thought to send her to Hasan Ahmad.

"Dadu, please. I've heard that the fair is gonna end soon. I want to visit it. You know Aleena, she is my classmate. She is also going. My other classmates are also joining Aleena. "Zara pleaded once again, holding her grandmother's feet.

"Zara....."

"Please Dadu. I promise, no one will know about it. Aleena said that she will pick and drop me." Zara said making best puppy dog eyes ever making it extra harder foe Anjum to say no.

Anjum sighed defeated.

"Okay, but be home before the sunset and do not leave your group while you are inside the fair." Anjum said and gave her money for the fair.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. You are the best dadu ever." Zara hugged her tightly and screamed happily.

She got ready and came down and found a man waiting in the living room.

"Assalam o Alaiykum Hammad bhai." She greeted the man and was about

to exit the Anjum villa when he called him.

"Zara, ask Kabeer to hurry up." He said in authoritative tone.

This was the only man or the only person who intimidated Zara.

She nodded and ran towards Kabeer's room.

"Kabeer bhai, Mr Strange is her. He wants you to hurry up." She bursted as soon as she saw Kabeer.

"Zaraaaa, bad habit. He is very much older than you. You shouldn't speak about him like this." Kabeer scolded her whilst putting socks.

"Whatever, I'm going." She said in hurry and sprang out of his room.

"Wow, it's beautiful." Aleena exclaimed in the most feminine way and Zara rolled her eyes while making bubbles of her chewing gum and walking with her friends in the most unlady like manner.

"Zara what do you say? Should I buy this hand bag?" Sana asked her, while showing her the beautiful hand bag.

"Please Sana, don't ask me about these stuffs. There are so many experts here. They will gladly help you." She said whilst pointing towards their shopaholic friends.

Not finding their company enjoyable, she left them shopping and started roaming the whole fair.

Very soon she was out of the fair and was exploring the village when she saw a man holding a beautiful white horse.

"Hey, can I ride this horse?" She asked

politely to a man who was holding his horse.

"Ummm, do you know?" The man asked, unsurely.

"Of course. I'm champion at it." She lied expertly and her boldness had the man believing in her lie.

"Okay, but I'll charge for it." The man said and handed her the horse rein when she agreed to pay him.

She had learnt to ride a little, when she had the chance to visit Kabeer's farmhouse but she wasn't good at it. But fo her adventure's sake, she keep aside her safty and hopped on the horse not before giving the man a confident smile.

She kicked the horse and minutes later it was galloping in the air.

She wasn't being able to control it and few minutes in the ride and she knew

it was the most unlucky day for her.

But the sport spirit in her didn't let her give up so easily and she continued trying to control it.

Soon enough the horse was under her control amd she jumped down from the horse and tied it with one of the trees. She didn't know the way back so she thought to wait there and soon enough she saw the horse's owner running towards her.

"Hey, I'm sorry. I lost my way so I didn't return." She said, taking out her wallet and handing him money.

The man nodded understandingly, whilst taking the money from her hand.

"Oh shit." Suddenly she remembered that she was here to visit the fair with her friends.

"Can you tell me the way to fair?" She

asked the man and the man explained her the way.

She ran towards it and after half an hour she was standing in front of the fair exit and enter gate.

She looked around.

'Oh God!! I hope thay didn't leave me here.' She thought looking at the sun hiding itself beyond the horizon.

She took out her phone and tried dial everyone's numbers but it said that they were out of reach.

She kicked the land beneath her in frustration.

'What am I gonna do?' She thought and sat on the grass tired of running all day.

"Hello, Kabeer bhai please come to pick me up." She dialed Kabeer's number and as soon as he picked up the call, she asked him helplessly.

"Where are you? You aren't home yet?" Kabeer sounded worried.

"I'm outside of the city." She meekly answered and gave him the fair's address.

"Please don't let anyone know about it." She pleaded at the end.

"You are unbelievable. Just stay there, we are coming." He sounded angry.

"We?" She asked confusingly.

"Yes, me and Hammad. I can't come alone. It's almost 45 km away." He said and disconnected the call.

She sighed and sat there, relaxing a bit.

She knew soon enough she will be rescued from her misery.

"What's wrong man? You seem worried." Hammad asked his friend watching him frowning.

"Hammad, we will discuss on the project some other time. Now you have to come with me. It's urgent." Kabeer said while keeping his things in his bag.

"What's the matter Kabeer? Say it clearly." Hammad stood up from his place and asked him, keeping his hand on Kabeer's shoulder.

Kabeer explained everything to him.

"You guys need to be little strict with her." Hammad suggested, leaning back on his seat.

"You are right. This is too much. It's about her safety now." Kabeer was really angry on his stupid and childish cousin.

"Kabeer bhai I'm sorry." She apologized for the tenth time now.

Kabeer kept driving, ignoring her.

"Will you stop it now? Do your drama when you are home." Hammad snapped at her not able to tolerate her 'sorry' anymore.

Before she could say anything, the car stopped with a jerk.

"Why did you stop?" Hammad asked annoyingly to his friend.

"I didn't. I guess we have some problem here. "He said, unfastening his seat belt.

"What the hell?" Hammd growled and came out of the car as well.

Zara saw them doing Allah knows what for almost half an hour.

The road was dreary, with forest on both side.

Kabeer kicked the car in annoyance.

"Hammad, be here with Zara. At the end of this forest area, there's some shops. I guess I can seek help from them." Kabeer said and walked away leaving the two behind.

Zara also came out of the car. It was little cold outside.

"Get inside." Hammad ordered her angrily.

But before she could retort back some people surrounded them, with guns in their hands.

"Hands up." Those masked men with guns shouted at them.

Both Hammad and Zara said what they were told and two men stood in front of them pointing gun on their heads.

Zara was trembling on her feet. She was cursing the moment, she decided to go to the fair.

The other started snatching their phones and looting inside the car.

"We should take this girl as well. Our master will be very happy." One of them said and they all, laughed menacingly.

"No please." Zara cried helplessly.

One of the men approached her, ignoring her pleas.

"Stay away from her." Hammad shouted and tackled the man who was holding gun on his head and snatched it from him.

He held that man tightly and pointed the nozzle of the gun on his head.

"Stay away from her or I will shoot him." Hammad ordered them, pressing the nozzle more on the man's head.

Those men looked each other and seconds later the sound of firing spread in the air.

Zara looked horrified. She looked towards Hammad. He was bent down, hissing in pain.

Those goon fired on Hammad's leg to

free their friend and after completing their task they ran away with the looted things.

Zara didn't know what to do.

"Hammad bhai." She screamed and ran towards him.

"Ca.. call Kabeer." Hammad said hissing in pain.

"They took our phones." She informed him. She was losing her sense watching him bleed like that.

They had hit him on his knees.