LANDING IN THE PAST
Bro’s condition is very critical. Shah, they are calling for you. Come with me.
Aryan, I don’t want to go there, but life doesn’t always give us what we want.
The airport buzzed with noise and hurried footsteps. Zain stood in the queue, passport clutched tight in his hand, eyes fixed on the departure board. Ten years. Ten years since he last saw this sky. Aryan walked beside him, quiet for once, no jokes, no taunts. The boarding announcement echoed through the hall. Zain took a deep breath and stepped forward, leaving behind the life he built and walking straight into the past he tried to forget.The flight had already taken off. Within a few hours, the plane touched down in Pakistan. Zain Shah set foot on his homeland’s soil after ten years. The wounds deepened. Too many memories came rushing back. A cold ache rose in his chest. His eyes burned red with restraint, tears ready to spill. But he was Zain Shah. He knew how to hold himself together. He had to. He had to face them all.
Today, even the weather in Islamabad was kind. Even the Margalla hills welcomed Zain Shah. Dark clouds had gathered across the sky.Outside, cars stood waiting for them. The driver opened the door. Zain and Aryan got into the car. Aryan looked at Zain’s face and asked, “Shah, are you alright?”
But Zain was somewhere far away, lost in the past.Past
This was Islamabad. A grand mansion spread over acres. In this palace-like bungalow, Zain’s mother’s voice rang out:
“Beta, stop. Drink this shake before you go to school. It’ll give you energy and you’ll study well all day. Please, son.”
“Mom, I’m not a kid anymore. Now I’m 15 years old.”
“Son, for a mother, children are always children, no matter how old they get. Bee Jaan, explain to your mom for me.”
“Zain, my child, don’t argue with your mom. Come on, finish the shake.”
“Okay, fine.” The shake was done. And Zain Shah was off — “Gotta go, Mom.”
“Okay, Allah Hafiz, my dear.”
“Allah Hafiz, Mom.”
That was Sofia Shah, Zain Shah’s mother and Zoraiz Shah’s first wife. Everything was going perfectly in this bright, happy bungalow. But now, the same pleasant place was about to be swallowed by a black night that would ruin Zain Shah’s world.
