She walked to the way of the restaurant and saw that an old woman wearing ragged and dirty clothes was being scolded by a shopkeeper.
" Hey, old woman! you are disturbing my business. getaway!"
The old woman wanted to leave his doorstep but she was confused. Alisha helped her out to the empty side of the market.
she asked worried, "where is your family ma'am?"
A passerby mocked at her question, "As if she is a little lost kid."
The old woman whose eyes were on the ground looked up furiously to the man, "your comfort is indebted to my son's life."
She looked like she might end up killing someone.
Alisha stopped her and calmed her down, "don't mind him."
"Please tell me a little about yourself. I will try to help you."
The old woman looked at her and spoke complaining, "My only son died in a battle at the borders."
"I have no one else. the hunger forced her to beg."
As soon as she finished her words, she almost fell to the ground.
Alisha stopped her from falling on the dusty ground. she carried her on her back to the nearest clinic. She paid her treatment expenses and paid extra for doctors to pay more attention.
The doctor spoke receiving her money, " I have seen this woman before. she seems to have lost her mind. I never thought a noble lady will bring her here for treatment. it's a blessing to her."
Alisha smiled and spoke denying his words," how ironic? she is the one noble here. it's an honor for me to serve her."
She said turning to exit," I will visit her tomorrow." she rushed out thinking about her grandfather.
She came back and saw chaos in the restaurant, she ran and saw her grandfather on the floor.
Alisha's heart seemed to have sunk in the deep sea.
She thought her grandfather was worried for her. her face turned pale on thoughts of his scolding. His rough hands were on his grey hair. He looked like losing his soul to a demon in a gamble.
She tried to rush to the spot which was few steps away, "Grandfa____"
she couldn't speak further as a hand covered her mouth dampening her soft yet shocked voice. It made her suffocate she turned and twisted her body.
She was about to win against the person who wrapped his hand around her neck trying to drag her away.
Another person wearing a black robe hit her on the neck, making her unconscious.
She was dragged away...
Here Amaan got control over himself half an hour later. The chaos was subsided and everything got back to its place.
Zahid said comforting him," he is not an ordinary person. You should trust him."
"He will get back safely; you know the Great General title isn't empty."
"After all, Yaqoob is your son. YOUR SON.YOUR…SON."
Amaan took a breath and sighed," But the enemy who has captured him has grudges against me."
"If he knows that Grand General Yaqoob is my son. Son of former Imperial tutor, you know very well. He would kill him without a second thought."
As he said he saw a few Imperial investigators moving around. Checking each shop.
His eyes moved to the table he last saw Alisha. She wasn't there neither was Kashif sitting in his place.
He stood up holding his heart which seemed to be aching. His eyes fell on the junior boy cleaning the sweets on the ground.
Seeing the kinds of sweets and their quantity Amaan understood it was Alisha's.
Losing himself in a deep ocean. He shouted so loud that the Waiter fell on his knees," Aaaaaaliiiiiiiishhaaaa....where is my baby????"
He fell to the ground crying," it's my fault. I should have made her change her veil. I shouldn't have taken her back."
His tears from the previous shock hadn't dried but his tears came out more painfully. Zahid looked around for his grandson but he was nowhere to be found.
"where did he go?"
The noble old men disguised as ordinary people sat in the restaurant, waiting for their beloved grandchildren.
After searching for a long time, they sat down there disappointed. The setting sun was swallowing their exhausted hope.
The restaurant was blooming in business as usual in the evening.
Zahid was looking around here and there as if his grandson would pop out from thin air.
Meanwhile, Amaan had his head put down and eyes closed, tears dropped from his eyes time to time as thoughts of his son and granddaughter flashed his head.
Zahid said getting annoyed by Amaan, "why don't you look for Alisha again?"
"What if she is hiding somewhere to trouble you or what if she is lost?"
"Maybe she lost the track of time in finding some other delicious sweets."
Amaan mumbled, "I wish any of the guess made by you was true. Since I don't see those rotten rats running around here. There is no need to look for her as well."
"Isn't it obvious they took her away?"
As soon as his words were completed, there was a loud noise of something falling that silenced the entire restaurant.
Amaan turned back and Zahid bent to look.
A dagger made of silver embedded with gems and pearls had fallen on the unfurnished ground.
The owner of the dagger had a horrified look on his face.
"Kashif! Where were you?"
Zahid stood up and ran to the owner who was his dear grandson. He hugged him and kissed him. Checking around his body up and down. Amaan looked at him for a while then went to his previous state.
Kashif's hand trembled as he went to his flashback. "What have I done?"
FLASHBACK~
After Alisha left, a Friend of Kashif entered the restaurant.
"Brother Kashif? "
"It's really you…how have you been?"
He sat down opposite him. Kashif replied, "such a rare meeting."
Kashif turned his face to his almost finished dessert and took a small bite. "What are you talking about?"
"What rare meeting? "we are friends." Said his friend who wore his official uniform as an officer.
Kashif didn't pay attention to him and spoke in a disappointed tone, "we were..."
His friend tried to explain himself, "don't say like that. I had no idea my wife argued with you while I was away on my duty."
"My nephew told me what had happened. Later, I looked around for you only to find you were out with your grandfather on a business trip."
Kashif had finished his dessert and stood up to look for Alisha. If Amaan and Zahid come to know that she disappeared in front of his eyes. He would be held in account for it.
Kashif walked out followed by his friend. Outside the restaurant, he grabbed his shoulder and turned him around facing himself.
He spoke angrily, "you won't understand the concern of a married couple."
Kashif tossed his hand away, "so what? You have a new world. I congratulate you, now don't disturb me."
Kashif turned his head towards the direction where Alisha ran, a man came in front of him out of blue, blocking his view.
The man and his friend took him to a little hut nearby forcefully.
"Leave me! Leave me!"
"Is this the friendship you talk about?"
"You dignified officers are bulling an unemployed scholar of a merchant family."
The man showed him a silver dagger and he immediately shut his mouth.
His friend spoke, "isn't this popular dagger of the middle east?" the man sat across him.
He wore a black outfit but the materials were of high quality. The man looked of high status wearing a jade ring on this thumb. Men who wore such outfits try to hide their identity. But the man in front of him was like creating an identity.
He folded his arms and sat on a bag of sand which looked too odd. But he sat really comfortably like a donkey pretending to be a horse.
He spoke, "Just a few simple questions and the dagger is entirely yours. You will have its full authority."
Kashif raised his eyebrows and asked, "What if it's fake?"
The man handed him the dagger, "You can fool everyone but not me."
"You have sharp eyes for such a rarity."
"If it was fake, would you calm down?" Kashif smirked.
The man asked his first question with a surety in his voice, "Have you seen a pair of Grandfather and granddaughter?"
"The girl usually wears a purple veil scented with jasmine." He gave a hint.
Kashif moved his head to look around, "I am not sure that I saw such a pair in the restaurant where I was sitting."
"And did she ran out just the moment before this sir entered and disturbed me?"
"But I am not sure the veil was scented?"
He stopped and made a cold contact with Man's eyes, "But the iceberg in her eyes floats peacefully in a troubled sea." was he warning him?
The man whose face was covered with a black cloth said, "you are quite updated with the events of your nation while away on a business trip."
Kashif who was hiding the dagger in his body said giving a glance at his friend, "it's profitable to have a role in high ranker's plot."
He switched back to his gentleman mode and realized his friend was in a huge surprise. Not because he knew about the purple veil but for the way, he behaved just then.
Kashif wanted to clear the suspicion and said, "let's say I got lucky today. but why of all people you are asking me this?"
The man answered, "It's worth making acquaintance with a useful person. Besides we can't handle ordinary people knowing such confidential things."
"But the temporary spy we paid seems to have digested my money forgetting the land it grew on."
Kashif nodded his head. The only thing in his mind was to transfer this dragger to his dear father and be praised.
The man and Kashif shook hands completing their deal. The man had already ordered Kashif's friend to go after her.
Kashif ran out and made his way to his home. After walking for an hour, he realized.
"oh damn! How can I forget my Old Grandfather?" and returned.
He overheard Amaan's word and thought to himself, "The dagger took away Alisha?"
"I can't believe I sacrificed an entire young lady for this dagger from the middle east."
"No... the dagger belongs to us; I can't let her pay for it. But it's true that without giving her whereabouts, it wouldn't have belonged to me."
"who told her to show off her skills in such events and make such trouble?"
He picked the dagger and hid it in his body again. And led his grandfather to his seat and sat beside Amaan.