Colonel Zargham was pacing restlessly in the room.
He was a middle-aged man with a strong physique and a face full of anxiety! His mustache was thick and drooped downwards. He repeatedly moved his shoulders as if afraid his coat might slip off them. This was a very old habit of his. At least every two minutes, he would make this movement. He glanced anxiously at the clock hanging on the wall and then stood near the window.
The crescent of the third week was rising from behind the far mountains. The weather was pleasant and the scenery extremely charming! But Colonel Zargham was disturbed—neither of these could soothe him. Suddenly, he jerked at a sound... Standing at the door was his young daughter Sophia.
"Oh Daddy!... it's ten o'clock already!"
"Yes... hmm!" Zargham replied thoughtfully. "Maybe the train is late."
He started looking outside the window! Sophia stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder.
But Colonel Zargham continued to stare outside stubbornly.
"Why are you so worried?" Sophia asked softly.
"Ah, Sofia!" Colonel Zargham turned and said, "I mean, why don't you see any significance in these events through your eyes?"
"I never said that!" Sophia replied. "My point is simply that worrying excessively doesn't benefit the mind."
"Now what should I do when my confusion increases every moment?"
"Anything new?" Sophia's tone was surprised.
"Haven't you read Captain Fayyaz's telegram?"
"I have! And I came here to talk about it now."
"Yes! So you too have become troubled by it."
"What does he mean after all? He wrote that he is sending a man to you, from whom you did not become uncomfortable, you will benefit a lot... I say why such a person who will bother us! And he is not even a government man."
"Just that ... I'm also troubled by it," Colonel looked towards the clock and said. "After all, what kind of person is he! Why should we be irritated?"
"They didn't send a man from their own department," Sophia said.
"If he wanted to send, he could have sent it, but Fayyaz is a very principled man. He did not think it appropriate to send a government man for a private matter."
****************
Colonel Zargham's two nephews, Anwar and Aarif, were waiting at the railway station for the arrival of the train! Upon the request of their uncle, Superintendent Captain Fayyaz of the Intelligence Department had sent a man for them, whom they were there to receive. The train was an hour late.
Both of them had also seen Captain Fayyaz's telegram and were contemplating about the arriving individual!
These two young men were handsome, smart, and well-educated. Aarif was only two years younger than Anwar. Hence, they shared a casual friendship, and Aarif addressed Anwar by his first name.
"Captain Fayyaz's telegram was quite strange," Aarif remarked.
"Even the damn train is late today!" Anwar grumbled.
"What kind of person could he possibly be?" Aarif wondered aloud.
"Who knows! He must be some annoying, troublesome fellow," Anwar said. "Colonel Sahib himself gets bored at times and bores others too."
"You exaggerate," Aarif replied. "In such situations, you'd probably do the same as he is."
"Oh, forget it! What situations and whatnot... It's all his paranoia. I often think how such a paranoid person was given command of a whole battalion. Any little thing at home, like cats crying, can spell disaster for the family... If someone mistakenly crosses a knife or fork in the plate while eating breakfast, it's a bad omen! And if a one-eyed is seen in the morning, it's a calamity!"
"I feel sorry for him in this matter," Aarif said.
"I get angry!" Anwar scoffed.
"Old people have to be forgiven," Aarif said calmly.
"He's an old man indeed," Anwar muttered. "I don't see any old-fashioned sympathy in him, except for weak beliefs."
"Exactly! Nevertheless, it's an inheritance from past times."
They were startled by the sound of a fast-paced bell. It was a signal for the train's arrival. This was a small mountain station. The bell was rung here to alert passengers. Eight or ten people were visible on the entire platform. Among them were rescuers in blue uniforms who walked arrogantly as if they were something important in the station master.... The person selling the food had picked up his box of meshed wood, inside which a red lantern was burning.... He lifted it from his head to his shoulder! And the boy selling the cotton cigarettes who was now rudely ringing a foul song from his mouth picked up his tray and hung it around his neck.
The train quietly arrived at the platform. Anwar and Arif remained standing at the gate
Only three people disembarked from the entire train... two elderly villagers... and a young man dressed in a dusty gabardine suit. Hanging on his left shoulder was a rifle wrapped in a cover, and in his right hand was a large suitcase.
Most likely, this was the person for whom Anwar and Aarif had come here.
They both approached him.
"Did Captain Fayyaz send you?" Anwar asked him.
"If I didn't want to come myself, his angels couldn't have sent me either," the traveler replied with a smile.
"Yes, alright," Anwar quickly responded.
"Alright!" The traveler blinked.
Anwar was taken aback. "Exactly what you're saying!"
"Oh!" The traveler said as if he had misunderstood something else earlier.
Aarif and Anwar exchanged meaningful glances at each other.
"We have come to pick you up," Aarif said.
"Then let's go," the traveler said, putting the suitcase on the platform and sitting on it.
Anwar called the porter.
"What!" The traveler exclaimed in surprise. "Can this porter lift my suitcase along with the suit case?"
First, they both opened their mouths, then started laughing.
"No!" Anwar said mischievously. "You stand up straight."
The traveler stood up. Anwar gestured to the porter to lift the suitcase.
"La hawla wala quwwata!" the traveler muttered, shaking his head. "I thought something else."
Anwar addressed Aarif, saying, "Most probably now the theme of the wire has come to your understanding."
Aarif began to laugh! But the traveler continued to walk with so much indifference and seriousness as if he had no business with that matter. He sat in the car after coming outside. Anwar was with the passenger on the previous seat and Aarif was driving.
Anwar addressed Aarif, saying, "Do Colonel Sahib and Captain Fayyaz also often pull pranks on each other?"
Aarif laughed again.... They both were thinking that they would have a good time with this foolish passenger.