That evening, Imran and Fayyaz were sitting in the judge's drawing room, waiting for him. His daughter was also present, and she was wearing dark glasses even then. Imran kept sighing deeply as he looked at her repeatedly! Occasionally, Fayyaz would sneak glances at him when Rabia wasn't looking.
After a short while, the judge arrived, and Rabia left.
"It must have been difficult for you!" Fayyaz said.
"No problem, go ahead."
"The thing is, I want more information about Ayaz."
"I think I have already told you everything."
"I want to know about his family background so that I can meet his relatives."
"I'm afraid I can't tell you anything about that," the judge said. "It may sound strange to you, but the truth is, I don't know anything about him even though we were close friends."
"Can you at least tell me where he was from?"
"Unfortunately, I don't know that either."
"That's very strange. Okay, where did you first meet?"
"In England."
Fayyaz involuntarily flinched... but Imran remained completely still. His demeanor did not change in the slightest.
"When was that?" Fayyaz asked.
"Thirty years ago! And it was under very strange circumstances. It was when I was studying law at Oxford. Once, I got caught up in a commotion, which was a complete misunderstanding. London thirty years ago was hateful, extremely hateful... just to give you an idea, there was a signboard at one of the hotels there which read:
'No Indians or dogs allowed...!' I can't say if it's still there now or not....In any case, in such an environment, if a misunderstanding arises between an Indian and an Englishman, the outcome is obvious. It was a restaurant where I had a quarrel with an Englishman. The area was East End, mostly inhabited by savages! Even today, it's the same! Extremely uncivilized people who live like animals! Oh, I'm unnecessarily prolonging the story! The point is that the quarrel escalated. To tell the truth, I was just trying to save my life and get out of there somehow!... Suddenly, a man cut through the crowd and reached me. That man was Ayaz. It was the first time I saw him that day... and in such a way that I am still astonished.... The crowd, which was determined to kill me, dispersed as soon as they saw Ayaz! It seemed as if a wolf had entered a flock of sheep.... Later, I found out that Ayaz was one of the influential people in that area.... Why he was so, I never found out.... Our relationship grew and continued to grow. But I never got to know anything about him. He was Indian, but I couldn't even find out which province or city he was from."
The judge fell silent and extended his cigar case towards them. Imran sat quietly, staring at the ceiling. It seemed as if Fayyaz had forcibly brought along a fool! Not just a fool, but someone who didn't even have the ability to understand their conversation! Fayyaz glanced at him several times from the corner of his eye but remained silent.
"Thank you!" Fayyaz said, taking a cigar and then, looking at Imran, added, "He doesn't smoke."
Even then, Imran did not take his eyes off the ceiling. It seemed as if he felt alone! The judge also looked at him with strange eyes but said nothing.
Suddenly, Imran sighed and said, "Allah," then sat up straight. He started moving his mouth, looking at them like an idiot.
Even then, Fayyaz was glad that the judge did not ask anything about Imran! Fayyaz was thinking of another question and simultaneously praying that Imran would remain silent, but perhaps Imran was also an expert in reading faces because, in the next moment, he started babbling.
"Yes sir! Good people come with very short lives! Ayaz was a saintly person.
'Charkh-e-kaj raftār o nāhanjār kab kisī ko...' That's a verse from Ghalib!"
But before Imran could recite the verse, Fayyaz interrupted, "Yes, there are some such rumors in the town."
"Well, this matter doesn't sit well with him at all! I've heard it too," said the judge. "After his death, I met some of the town's esteemed people, and they also believed he was a man of great spiritual stature, but I don't think so. His personality was certainly mysterious... but not in that way!"
"What do you think about the servant who now tends to his grave?" Fayyaz asked.
"He's also a man of great spiritual stature," Imran blurted out. The judge glared at him again but didn't ask anything about it.
"Is it stated in the will that the caretaker of the grave will remain in the outer room of the building?" Fayyaz asked the judge.
"Yes, absolutely!" The judge said in an irritated tone. "It would be better if we talked about something else! My only connection to that building is that I am legally its owner. Nothing more. None of my family members have ever stayed there."
"No one have ever gone there?" Fayyaz said.
"Why not! Initially, everyone was curious to see it! Naturally, it came into our possession in a very surprising way."
"There was a shower of light at Ayaz's funeral," Imran chimed in again.
"I don't know," the judge said wearily. "I arrived there when he had already been buried."
"I think that building is haunted," Fayyaz said.
"Could be! I wish it wasn't my property! Now, may I be excused?"
"Sorry," Fayyaz said, standing up. "We troubled you a lot, but it's a pressing matter."
Fayyaz and Imran walked out! Fayyaz was furious. As soon as they were outside, he lashed out.
"You prove your stupidity everywhere."
"And I was thinking of shooting you," Imran replied.
"Why, what did I do?"
"Why didn't you ask where the beloved one-eyed lady was on the night of the fourteenth?"
"Why are you being annoying! I'm not in the mood."