A Horrifying Betrayal(SALAAR lAGHARI) Must be a Suicide

Two police officers were riding on a boat below the Brooklyn Bridge of New York. It was late afternoon. The officers were rowing the boat faster. One of the police officers stopped suddenly and looked up at the Brooklyn Bridge and saw someone standing at the cliff of the bridge about to jump off from the bridge.
‘Look at that!’ he said to his partners, ‘Someone’s about to commit to a suicide’
‘Stop her!’
That person finally jumps off from the bridge over the river and falls inside the water deeply.
Later that evening, a police force gathers around the river and searches for the dead body everywhere but they don’t find the body anywhere around in the river.
The commissioner who was inquiring about the accident at the bridge, calls up the officers who witnessed the incident at the river.
‘Sir this was not an accident, that lady had committed suicide’
‘A suicide? Must be, because that lady was suffering from severe torture and pain’


Fashion Designing Competition

Two years earlier, in Washington, Zainab Imran was living with her father and brother Omar Imran. Her father Mr. Imran was worried about her, as he wanted her to get married to a Muslim. She had promised her father that she would never marry any one of a different religion.
Outside her home and family life, Zainab was living the greatest and happiest moments of life with her friends Olivia and Ashley. She had just graduated from her university.
These were her last days with her friends, so she didn’t miss any moment of excitement. They were planning to collect 50,000 $ for their fashion designing competition.
Zainab had decided to borrow that money from her father. Ashley didn’t wanted Zainab to borrow such a great amount but Olivia enforced her.
Zainab one day finally decided to ask her father, whether he could lend her some money or not. So she went to him and asked:
‘Father can you please just give me…some money for my fashion designing competition’
‘How much do you need?’ he asked.
‘It’s 50,000$’
‘Sorry?’ he asked surprisingly.
‘Father, I will return it to you very soon I promise’
‘It’s not about returning soon or later…it’s about whether you can keep such a large amount safely’
‘Trust me father, I’m grown up by now’
‘Yeah it seems, anyways I’ll give it to you tomorrow after I get it from my account’

We’re On

Next day, Zainab went to Ashley’s house and rings the doorbell. Ashley comes out to see,
‘Hi Zainab! What’s up?’
‘Good news Ashley, my father’s giving me 50,000 $’
‘Great! Excellent! Now it’s time to get ready for…’
‘…Call Olivia she has all the pictures and equipment of our latest designs’
‘No we need new equipments by now’ Ashley says greedily.
Moments later, they both leave for Olivia’s home. After picking her up, Zainab goes to her father who gives her a 50,000 $ cheque. The girls go to the bank and collect the amount in cash.
Olivia keeps the cash safely and Zainab contacts the person who was in charge of the competition.
‘Girls! The competition is next month’ Zainab tells her friends.
‘This means we have enough time to arrange things’ says Olivia.
‘Yes we’re on!’ exclaims Ashley.

Smart but Depressed Fellow

The girls left the place and went to streets. Olivia had kept the money in her purse. She was taking it very carefully. As they were walking, they see a smart looking fellow walking by their side who was very depressed.
‘Hey girls look at that guy’ says Ashley.
‘Seems quiet upset’ Zainab says looking at him.
‘Should we talk to him?’
‘It’s his problem, let him handle it himself’
As they were talking, the crowd began to increase and they got mixed up in the crowd. Zainab and Olivia lost Ashley in the crowd, but later found her talking to that man.
‘Sir you seem quiet sad, can we help you?’ Ashley says to him.
‘No thanks’ he replies silently.
‘Have you lost something or did someone hurt you?’
He remains silent and walks away. Ashley follows him. Zainab and Olivia follow her and stop her.
‘What’s the matter? Do you want to date him’ Zainab says to her.
‘Shut up Zainab, he seems quiet upset to me, I would like to help him’
Zainab looks at him and feels the same that the guy needed help so she says to Olivia,
‘Give me my cash, I think I should lend him some money’
‘No thanks’ that fellow says to her.

Stolen

As Olivia opens her purse, she gets astonished as she finds that there was no money in her purse. She angrily throws her purse on the ground,
‘It’s stolen!’ she exclaims.
‘Stolen?’ Ashley asks surprisingly.
‘Don’t tell me that!’ Zainab says astonishingly.
‘I don’t know, it’s lost or stolen…I’m not responsible’ Olivia says turning away from them.
‘What do you mean you’re not responsible…I gave you my money considering you to be very…’
‘Listen Zainab! Don’t blame me, someone in the crowd must have taken it away’
‘And you couldn’t just manage to take care of your purse? Shame on you! What will I tell my father now?’
Zainab and Olivia kept on arguing, seeing them the depressed fellow took out a wallet from his pocket and gives it to them, which had a credit card of more than 60,000$ wealth.
‘Keep this’
Saying this he goes away. The girls get surprised with what they just saw and run after him. Zainab returns it to him back and says,
‘Thank you very much sir but we can't take this from you’
‘Ok then just distribute it among the poor’ he replies.
‘But sir why are you throwing away your wealth like this’ Ashley asks him.
‘Wealth has no meaning in my life now, just keep it’
‘How much wealth does this credit card of yours contain?’ Ashley asks opening the wallet and checking inside.
‘Around 60,000$, you have lost your money so you keep it’
Saying this he walks away. Ashley and Olivia walk away the other side with the wallet but Zainab follows the man.

William Richards

‘Wait sir I need to talk to you’
The man stops and turns around seeing Zainab running after him.
‘Yes’
‘Sir I just wanted to thank you for helping us, if it weren’t for you my father would have killed me’
He smiles and looks away silently.
‘Sir I know you are very depressed and are passing through a bad period, please tell me, I’ll help you solve your problem’
‘It’s nothing really’ he says getting frustrated.
‘Please sir you helped us out from such a big problem now it’s our turn’
‘Ma’am thanks for asking but you can't change my past, if you want to help me then please just let me commit a suicide’
‘No sir please don’t die, I will definitely never let you do that…I know you just had a great loss or something, but you’re not telling me’
‘Why should I tell you that? Who am I for you’
‘Listen sir you must have lost someone special in life, or must have been fired from your job but your life is not over yet, there’s still more to life’
‘Who are you ma’am?’
‘I’m Zainab Imran from India, and you’
‘…William Richards’
‘Where are you from?’
‘Who cares?’ he says looking aside.
‘Where do you live?’
‘I’ve left my home and I’m not going back’ he says angrily.
‘Ok can we meet here again tomorrow?’
‘…I don’t know’ he said after a pause.
‘Tomorrow at ten o’clock I will see you here again, I hope you will come’
Saying this she walks away waving him goodbye. William looks at her for a while and turns his face again. He takes out a cell phone from his pocket and makes a phone call to someone.

Heartbroken and Lonely

Next day at ten o’clock, Zainab is sorting out her things with Olivia. While she sees the time, she remembers she had to go and see William.
‘Olivia, you work out my work please, I have to go somewhere’
‘Where are you going so early?’
‘I’ll be back in an hour’ saying this Zainab leaves.
She leaves Olivia’s home where they were working. She calls a taxi and leaves to meet William.
As she reaches the place, she gets surprised to see Williams, who was actually waiting for her. She runs towards him and says,
‘Hi Williams! How are you?’
‘Fine and you?’
‘I’m sorry I’m late’
He remains silent and smiles.
‘I thought you wouldn't come, but you did…anyways I called you here to ask you what is the reason behind your silence?’
‘…..well it’s a tale of a betrayal’ he says after a pause, ‘I just don’t want to talk about it’
‘Oh I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter if you don’t want to talk about it, but your life is not over yet. There’s more to life’
‘You talk really nice’ he says shyly.
‘What do you want from life?’
‘Nothing, just want to go back to New York from where I came…but I can't go until I get married’
‘Married? That’s not a problem at all’
‘Do you know anyone perfect for me?’ he jokes.
‘No but I can definitely sort out someone for you’
He laughs silently and looks away. They continue talking; Zainab speaks rather more than him, as he was a silent person. During their conversation, Zainab realizes that Williams was a very heartbroken and lonely person and he needed family support.

In Love

Zainab’s further days continued in spending time with William. She spent her whole days with him and didn’t concentrate much on her fashion designing assignment. Ashley and Olivia were surprised to see her different behavior of being careless.
One day, William meets her outside her home and says:
‘Zainab, it was really a nice time which I spent with you…in two days I’m leaving Washington and going back to New York’
‘Wait a minute William, what do you mean you are leaving so soon?’
‘Sorry Zainab, I have to go’
‘You said you wouldn't return until you get married, did you finally find someone to get married with?’
‘No, but still I’m leaving’
‘Wait William, we’ve been together for just two weeks, you can’t go too soon’
‘Zainab, you know we can’t be together forever’
‘…There’s something I want to tell you William,’ she says after thinking for a while, ‘I think I’m…I’m in…I think I’m in love’
‘With whom?’
‘With you’ she says quickly.
‘Me? Are you serious?’ he asks surprisingly.
‘William, my father wont allow me to marry a non Muslim…please do something’
‘Listen Zainab, we are really good friends, but marriage is totally something different for us, ok?’
‘No Williams you are all alone in this world, and you need my support…’
‘Look Zainab! I really don’t understand how in two weeks you fell in love’
‘I have made a promise with my father that I would only marry a Muslim, but for you I can break this promise’
‘Ok I’m going now, see you tomorrow’
Saying this William leaves immediately.

Might be a Wrong Decision

Next day, Zainab, who is quite sad, goes to Olivia and Ashley who are at Olivia’s home. She rings the bell. As Olivia comes out she says,
‘So after such a long time you’ve finally left William and got time for us’
‘No Olivia…I need your help’
‘I knew you would need us one day, anyways what’s the matter?’
Ashley arrives from behind Olivia and gets surprised to see Zainab standing outside.
‘Girls I need your help…please help me’ Zainab cries.
‘Ok go on tell us’ Ashley says.
‘I’m in love with William. I just have to break my promise that I made with my father. I just want to marry him, but my father would never agree’
‘Do you know how much of a wrong decision you are making?’ Olivia asks staring her.
‘I know this might be a wrong decision to marry him, but in love no one can differentiate between right and wrong’
‘There is no such philosophy of right and wrong in love, you just have to do as your father wants you to do’ Ashley says quite angrily.
‘But I have my own personal life also, why can’t I make my own decisions?’
‘Because your father never asked you this question while he lent you his money’ says Ashley.
‘William also gave me the same amount’
‘But William won’t get hurt if you won’t marry him but your father would’
‘…You’re not getting it Ashley’, Zainab says irritatingly ‘Just let it be, I will just make this wrong decision and see whatever happens’
Saying this Zainab angrily leaves. Ashley and Olivia get surprised to see her new and strange attitude.

Take Me along with You

That night at two o’clock of night, Zainab is sleeping at her home. Her cell phone begins to ring, as she wakes up and answers the call:
‘Hello?’
‘Hello it’s me William’
‘William, is everything alright, I mean at this time of night’
‘I’m standing outside your gate, I’m leaving now, just came to say goodbye’
‘Goodbye? Leaving? What’s going on?’ she asks confusingly.
She switches off her phone and runs outside towards the gate. As she opens the gate she finds William standing along with taxi on his side. She runs towards him,
‘Why William? Why so soon?’
‘Zainab please don’t stop me today’ he says in a soft voice. ‘I have to go now’
‘But what about our marriage?’
‘Zainab, you are really a nice girl, you should keep your promise…don’t hurt your father. I’m seeing you today for the last time, just let this be my last wish’
‘Last wish? William are you leaving me forever, I can’t believe you man’
William smiles and comes closer to her and looks into her eyes,
‘Zainab, you gave me a second life. I came to Washington to die, you encouraged and motivated me with our every day meetings, you talked nicely with me due to which I began to enjoy life. So I would just say that I am very unlucky to lose you but one day you will find a very nice and deserving partner of your life…and then you would definitely be able to forget me’
‘No William, if you want to return all those favors then you have to take me along with you’

Good Bye Home

As she was insisting to him very much, so he thinks for a while and says:
‘I’m ready to take you Zainab, but what about your father?’
‘Don’t worry I’ll return here soon after getting married’
‘Will your father spare you alive?’
‘Don’t say it like that please’ she says getting frightened.
‘Just joking’ he chuckles. ‘Go bring your stuff’
She runs back to home. William looks around and says greedily:
‘My mission is successful’
She returns after an hour with two bags along with her. She comes closer to him and says excitedly:
‘Lets go!’
‘Zainab you still have time to save your future, don’t come with me if you might regret it’
‘What are you saying? I don’t get it’
‘I’m asking you to go back please, you will regret this moment of not going back home’
‘Shut up William, let's go before my father and brother wake up’
‘Ok just say goodbye to them’
She turns around and looks at her home,
‘Goodbye home, see you later. Ok happy now let's go’
They both sit at the taxi and leave.

Zainab would be in Trouble

Next day, when Omar and Mr. Imran wake up, they check Zainab’s room and find it all messed up. Her father Imran gets very hot tempered and begins to yell out loudly as he realizes she must have escaped home to marry someone whom he would never agree.
So Omar rushes to Olivia’s home and asks her,
‘Zainab is missing, do you have any idea where she might be’
‘Missing?’ she asks surprisingly, ‘So she finally ran away’
‘Ran away? With whom?’ he asks angrily.
‘William Richard, a guy whom she loved’
‘Loved?’ he asks more angrily, ‘You mean Zainab is away with a non Muslim?’
‘Calm down Omar, he is a nice guy. But I’m afraid that they might not be in Washington now’
‘Oh no man, what will I tell my father about this?’ he says getting irritated.
As he leaves, Olivia makes a call to Ashley and tells her the entire story.
As Omar returns home, he tells his father that she is nowhere around in Washington. Mr. Imran who is already very frustrated gets angrier and says to him:
‘Zainab’s bad period has started’
‘Bad period?’
‘Yes, because I know many girls who have suffered from trouble leaving behind their parents like this’
‘I didn’t get you’
‘What I mean to say is disobedience to parents creates a problem for children as Allah hates this and He gives them punishment for such a work’.
‘So you mean Zainab might be in trouble?’

Dangerous Traitor

Two weeks later, Zainab and William live in a pent house. They have married in court. William has kept her at home, and doesn’t allow her to go outside and has disconnected all telephone lines.
Zainab one day gets frustrated at home and asks:
‘William! You have locked me at home since two weeks and don’t even allow me to do any household work’
‘Zainab, I want to tell you a joke’
‘Ok go on’
‘There was a guy who coincidentally had the same name William. He was very expert in making girls fall in love with him with his sophisticated attitude… actually he was a big fraud who played with lives with girls as he was good in acting and performing dramas’
‘What the hell are you saying? Is this a joke?’ she says seriously.
‘The joke is after getting married with the girls, he used to sell them in brothels’
‘What the hell do you mean? Talk straight!’ she yells.
‘Zainab you are my fifteenth wife, I’ve been playing this drama with you to make you fall in love with me’
‘Fifteenth wife? Drama?’
‘Sorry Zainab, I am a fraud in reality. Let me tell you the entire story. First I traced out an Indian girl, which was you, then your money was stolen, after which I lent you my own money. This entire moment was planned’
‘Planned?’ she cries.
‘Then I made you fall in love by making you desperate to know the secret behind my silence, this was really very easy’ he laughs saying this, ‘Then our daily meetings made you fall in love…oh no man I can’t believe it, I’m such a play boy’
‘Play boy is nothing for a man like you’ she cries, ‘I left my entire world behind and broke my promises just for you, and you? You played with my life and emotions’
‘You wanted to get married, I didn’t, you forced me to take you along, I warned you there at your gate that your future might be changed. I also told you that you would regret this day, now face it’
Hearing this all she cries out loudly and kneels before him,
‘Please let me go, my father will die if I won’t return’
‘You should have realized this while leaving home’
‘But why do you play with girls like me’
‘I hate all Muslim and Hindu girls and this is my occupation. This is the way me and my other friends earn income’
‘…I can’t believe I’ve been betrayed’
‘Yes this horrifying betrayal happens with every girl who falls in love with me’
‘You’re a dangerous traitor’
He adds something into a glass of water and offers her to drink it. She takes it and drinks it considering it to be added with poison. She faints.

A Day in Hell

Next moment when Zainab opens her eyes, she finds herself in a room where there were three other girls of her age. They had tears in their eyes and seemed quiet upset. She gets up and sees around here and there, she begins to cry. One of those girls comes towards her and says:
‘Please don’t cry Zainab, it’s useless to cry here in such a place’
‘Who are you?’ Zainab asks her.
‘I’m a Hindu girl. My name is Neha. I have the same tragedy as that of yours…we are sold here everyday in this brothel. You’ll be safe only for one year until you give birth to William’s child. After that you’ll also be sold like us’
‘But why is he doing this with me?’
‘That’s no question to ask, this is happening with everyone here’
‘Why don’t police stop this brothel?’
‘Because the head of this brothel is a crooked police officer’
Zainab begins to cry hearing this all. Neha tries to comfort her.
William opens the door of the room and goes to Zainab, he holds her hand tightly and drags her away with him. As he takes her outside the room, he shows her the entire brothel where there are Hindu and Muslim girls all around in rooms. Seeing them all Zainab begins to cry out loudly and feels like riding a hell with a devil.

A Terrible Report

Next day, while Zainab is sleeping on a bed, William’s female secretary wakes her up and gives her a cell phone,
‘Call the police, this is your only chance to save yourself and other girls. William and others are away for a while’
Zainab immediately grabs the phone from her but instead of calling police, she calls Omar.
Omar receives the call,
‘Hello?’
‘Hello Omar it’s me Zainab!’ she exclaims.
‘Zainab?’ he says angrily, ‘You worthless creature where the hell are you?’
‘Omar don’t scold me now, right now I’m in extreme need of your help! I’m in New York, I’ve been kept in a brothel…help me please’
‘New York? Brothel?’ he asks surprisingly, ‘what are you saying Zainab, where are you in New York?’
William arrives at the very moment; he snatches the phone from her and breaks it by throwing it on a wall hardly. He angrily beats up Zainab so that her forehead begins to bleed.
Omar switches off his phone realizing she was in trouble. Hearing the terrible report from his sister, he gets madly upset and gets confused thinking what he should do next.
Back at the brothel, William grasps Zainab’s throat and asks angrily,
‘Whom did you call?’
‘I called my brother’, she hardly says ‘he will come and kill you all’
William laughs for a second and leaves her. He leaves the room and calls his two men who are standing afar. As they come closer, he says:
‘Go to the airports and train stations of York, make sure no one by the name of Omar Imran arrives here’
‘Omar Imran?’ asks one of the men, ‘Who’s he?’
‘He’s my last wife’s brother, I think he is aware of us now’
‘Aware of us? You mean our brothel, but how did she contact her brother?’
‘I helped her’ William’s secretary said from behind.
They turned around and looked at her surprisingly,
‘Shoot her’ William says slowly to his men.
One of the men takes out a pistol from his belt and shoots her in her head.

Murdered and Arrested

Two months later, Zainab was pregnant with William’s child. She was kept and locked in a room. William’s new female secretary was taking care of her.
Omar was hiding the truth about Zainab’s phone call from his father. One day he finally decides to save his sister from William. He gets his tickets booked by plane and prepares to leave secretly without telling his father.
William orders his men to remain at the airport and train stations keeping an eye on all travelers arriving. That night William’s secretary goes to William and says:
‘Sir this girl Zainab is very irritating, she doesn’t let me take care of her and because of her our brothel is in danger…I advise you to kill her’
‘…You are quite right, but how should I’ he says after a while.
Moments later at late night, William comes to Zainab and says:
‘You are free go out’
He opens the exit gate for her and she escapes from the brothel. She feels free after seeing the world outside but as it was a dark night she gets quite afraid. As she turns around she sees William charging towards her with a dagger, to kill her.
Two police officers are walking at that place as they walk every night. They are unaware that there is a brothel around that place but they are also unaware that William and Zainab are standing there.
William angrily rushes to kill her; Zainab dodges him so that he badly falls to the ground. She picks up a rock from the ground and throws it hard on his head. His head bleeds, he yells out loudly. The police officers hearing the scream get vigilant and follow the sound to see what was happening. Meanwhile, Zainab snatches the dagger from William and wildly cuts him with it on his chest. After many fatal injuries caused by her, William dies.
The police officers witness the whole scene and arrest her immediately.

Another Murder

Next day, Omar reaches the airport of New York. As he begins to walk out, William’s men hear his name and see him at the reception of the airport. They go towards him and help him in carrying his bag.
That afternoon, Zainab is kept in the police custody. As the commissioner of New York police department arrives the police station to see the interesting case of a lady.
‘So Miss Zainab, I’ve heard you’ve murdered your own husband because he was about to sell you…interesting’
‘It’s a truth sir, believe me’
‘Yeah we can believe you only if you prove this fact’
‘The place where I murdered him, had a brothel next to it’
‘Brothel, in York’ he taunts.
He gets a phone call, which interrupts his inquiry. He attends the call,
‘Yes what happened?…a murder, where?…at airport? Ok I’m coming’
He ends the call and looks at her,
‘Officers keep an eye on her, I’ll be back, someone by the name of Omar Imran has been murdered at the airport’
‘Who has been murdered?!’ Zainab exclaims as she stands up.
‘Omar Imran, why?’
Hearing this she gets terrifically shocked and falls to ground. She hides her face and cries out loudly realizing her brother had been murdered.
‘Why is she crying?’ the commissioner asks.
‘Sir her name is Zainab Imran and you are talking about Omar Imran’, says one of the officers ‘there must be a family relationship between them’
‘Possible’
Zainab tricking them suddenly snatches the revolver from the officer, and points it on her forehead.
‘Zainab stop! What are you doing?’ the commissioner says.
‘Let me go! Or I’ll shoot myself’
‘Do you think we are fools?’ says one of the police officers.
‘No don’t, let her go…she is out of her mind, let her go’ the commissioner orders.
‘But sir…’
‘Don’t argue, if she dies, we will have to face the consequence’
She is finally released from the police station, after which she runs away hardly as it was difficult for her to run because of her pregnancy. The officers don’t follow.

Sorry Father

Lately, Zainab reaches the Brooklyn Bridge. She stands on its edge and continues weeping,
‘I had a horrifying betrayal in life, but I deserved this because I myself betrayed my father and brother’
She looks at the water, which seemed very deep inside from the great height. She remembers her old memories with Olivia and Ashley, which make her cry a lot.
‘I’m sorry father’, she says to herself, ‘because of me you lost both your children in a murder and a suicide’
She finally jumps off from the bridge into the river.

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