The sound of rhythmic hooves echoed across the clearing, cutting through the heavy hum of our labor. We all paused. Zafar Khan was approaching.
He dismounted his horse in one swift, aggressive motion and immediately began to bark orders, his voice carrying an sharp edge. "I want the excavation completed by next week! Ahmed Khan needs the road ready by next month. No excuses!"
"Seriously?" Adi muttered under his breath, stepping closer to me.
I glanced over at him, keeping my voice low. "Is it not possible?"
"It's possible, but it means grueling hours," Adi explained, shaking his head. "We just don't have enough workers for that kind of timeline."
"Then why don't they just hire more men?" I asked, looking around the sparse site.
"Because as much as is happening here, there are ten other projects running simultaneously. I literally just wrapped up work on a bridge before being reassigned here. At this very moment, hundreds of men are breaking their backs for Ahmed Khan's projects."
"I see," I murmured, tilting my head back.
As I did, I caught Zafar staring directly at me. I raised both eyebrows in defiance. He offered a twisted, mocking smile before turning on his heel to sit down in his designated spot.
"What's wrong with him?" I muttered, turning back to my work to block him out.
Hours blurred together. The relentless physical labor eventually took its toll, and my muscles ached with exhaustion.
"Adi, I'm going to take a quick rest," I said, wiping the grime from my forehead.
I walked over to a large, flat stone and slumped down, trying to catch my breath. Sweat poured into my eyes, stinging them. I raised my hand to wipe it away, but the moment I cleared my vision, Zafar was standing right in front of me. Before I could move, he sat down right beside me.
"Fatigued already?" Zafar mocked, his voice dripping with condescension. "From today onward, you'll be working much later into the night."
I took a deep, steadying breath, refusing to let him intimidate me. "You're only doing this so Aliza can't meet us. You're forcing us into overtime just out of spite."
He smiled, a dark, amused expression. "Weak in body, but sharp in mind," Zafar countered.
"Why didn't you tell Ahmed Khan about us?" I demanded, looking him dead in the eye.
"I don't know," Zafar replied smoothly.
A slow smile crept onto my face. "Because of Aliza?"
Zafar's expression hardened, his tone turning venomous. "You know what? Aliza only pities the two of you. And because I cherish her, I figured I'd let her feed these pathetic little birds."
I couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You 'let' her?" I repeated his words, watching his jaw tighten. "The truth is, you can't control her. You're powerless when it comes to her, so you pretend it's your choice. You simply can't stop her."
Stung by the remark, Zafar abruptly stood up and stormed away.
A short while later, a sudden commotion broke out across the excavation site. Agitated voices echoed from the main digging area.
"We can't work here!"
"Anyone who digs here must have a death wish!"
"No way! We're putting our tools down!"
I quickly made my way toward the shouting workers. Adi and Iqbal Sahab were already in the center of the crowd, trying to calm the chaos.
"What's happening?" I asked, pushing through to Adi.
"This section is incredibly unstable," Adi explained, pointing toward the edge. "The ground keeps collapsing, and there's a steep, lethal ravine right below us. Anyone who tries to excavate this specific spot won't make it out alive."
"Oh. So what do we do now?" I asked.
"The only logical solution is to alter the route," Iqbal Sahab spoke up, his voice calm but firm.
Before a decision could be made, Zafar strode into the clearing, his voice booming over the panic. "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!"
One of the lead workers stepped forward, nervously explaining the structural danger and the risk of a fatal collapse.
"Is that so?" Zafar muttered, pausing to think for a moment.
"Should we redirect the route then, sir?" a worker asked tentatively.
"No!" Zafar barked. "Zafar does not change his path."
"But we can't gamble with our lives!" the worker argued back. "We value our survival!"
Zafar glared at the crowd. "And who said anything about you lot working there?"
The men looked at each other, confused. "Then who? Who is going to dig it?"
Zafar turned slowly, his eyes locking onto me. "BILAL! Bilal will do it."
"What the..." I gasped, stepping back.
"No! Bilal, you will do no such thing!" Adi interjected fiercely, stepping between us.
"Don't worry, Adi. I'm not insane," I said, keeping my eyes on Zafar as he stepped closer to me.
"I am not doing it," I told Zafar flatly.
"You will do it. You have no other option," Zafar replied, his voice dangerously low.
"And why on earth would I do that?" I challenged.
Zafar leaned in close, his breath brushing against my ear. "Because you are my slave."
A surge of pure fury rushed through me. I clenched my fists until my knuckles turned white, grinding my teeth to keep from striking him.
"ZAFAR!" Iqbal Sahab roared, stepping forward.
"You stay out of this, Iqbal sahab!" Zafar warned, flashing him a deadly glare.
"I am still not doing it," I repeated, standing my ground.
"If you refuse, I will personally report everything to Ahmed Khan. And you know very well that I am a man of my word," Zafar threatened.
Adi stepped up, trying to reason with him. "Zafar sir! Bilal hasn't even mastered the basic labor yet. He cannot survive that spot."
"Then you go in his place," Zafar snapped at Adi.
"NO!" I cut in immediately.
"I will go!" Iqbal Sahab announced firmly.
"No, Iqbal Sahab! None of us are going into that trench!" I pleaded.
Ignoring my protests, Iqbal Sahab marched straight up to Zafar. "Iqbal went in of his own free will and fell to his death!" Iqbal Sahab said, staring directly at Zafar. "Isn't that exactly what you want? For me to die without your hands getting dirty? This is the perfect opportunity for you."
For a fleeting second, a glint of tears surfaced in Zafar's eyes. But he quickly masked it with cold indifference. "Fine. If you are so eager to meet your end, be my guest," Zafar said.
"What! No!" I cried out.
Iqbal Sahab grabbed a shovel and began walking resolutely toward the dangerous ledge.
"Zafar, stop this! He will die!" I shouted, grabbing Zafar by the shoulder and shaking him.
"It is his own choice," Zafar said coldly, tearing himself away to leave.
"I don't know what history lies between the two of you," I yelled after him. "But Iqbal Sahab still trusts you! I have seen the profound affection he holds for you in his eyes, Zafar!"
Zafar stopped dead in his tracks. Suddenly, he burst into a harsh, maniacal laugh. He turned back, lunged forward, and gripped both of my shoulders with immense force, his eyes widening wildly.
"Look into my eyes! Do you see anything for that man other than pure, unadulterated hatred?" Zafar hissed.
"All I see are tears," I replied softly, refusing to look away.
"These are tears of rage," Zafar spat.
"No. These are the tears of someone terrified of losing someone they care about," I countered.
Zafar struck my shoulder hard, pushing me back. "Lies!"
"Tell the truth! Every single time I have seen tears in your eyes, they have been for Iqbal Sahab," I said, pressing the wound.
Zafar turned his back on me and began walking toward his horse.
"Zafar! Please!" I screamed, desperate to stop the madness.
Ignoring me entirely, Zafar mounted his horse. But just as he settled into the saddle, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the air.
"AAAAHHHHHH!"
It was Iqbal Sahab. I spun around in horror.
Zafar instantly threw himself off his horse and sprinted toward the source of the scream. I bolted right behind him, but Adi grabbed my arm, pulling me back with all his strength.
"No, Bilal, don't go over there!" Adi shouted, holding me tightly.
"Adi, let go of me! Are you insane?" I yelled, struggling against his grip.
"Zafar will handle it!" Adi insisted, keeping me pinned.
Up at the edge of the unstable ravine, Zafar stood scanning the fractured earth. Iqbal Sahab was nowhere to be seen.
"IQBAL SAHAB!" Zafar screamed, his voice cracking with a terror he could no longer hide. His chest heaved as he panicked. "IQBAL SAHAB!"
Then, Zafar's eyes caught a section of freshly collapsed earth where loose stones were still sliding down into the abyss. He crept forward cautiously, peering over the crumbling lip of the cliff.
Down below, Iqbal Sahab lay motionless and unconscious. Fortunately, his fall had been broken by a protruding ledge of debris just a short distance down, preventing him from plummeting into the deep canyon.
Zafar tried to climb down, but a sudden shift in the rocks sent a mini-landslide cascading down, forcing him to leap backward onto solid ground. After running for a while, he reached where we were standing.
"I need a rope!" Zafar demanded.
The workers stood paralyzed, frozen by fear. Nobody moved.
Without wasting a second, I dashed to the supply pile, grabbed a heavy coil of rope, and thrust it into Zafar's hands.
"Come with me," Zafar ordered.
I followed him back to the treacherous edge.
"Watch your step. The ground is highly volatile," Zafar warned. He rapidly tied one end of the rope around his waist and handed the rest of the coil to me. "I am going down to retrieve Iqbal Sahab. Do not let go of this rope."
I looked at the heavy rope, then at the unstable cliff. "But... I don't think I can hold your weight alone," I admitted honestly.
"Aahhh!" Zafar frustratedly yelled out, the stress getting to him.
Panicking, I struggled to think of an alternative. Zafar stepped up to me, eyes scanning my frame. "If I tie the rope around you instead, can you haul Iqbal Sahab back up to the surface?"
"Yes, I can manage that," I nodded.
"Fine," Zafar said, quickly unraveling the rope from himself and binding it securely around my waist. He took a firm grip of the anchor end. "Go."
I hesitated at the edge, staring at him.
"GO!" Zafar roared.
"I don't trust you," I said aloud.
Zafar closed his eyes, letting out a sharp, cynical laugh. He stepped closer, his gaze piercing. "Do you think you have a choice? Huh? You said it yourself—Iqbal Sahab trusts me, right? So fine, don't trust me. Trust Iqbal Sahab's judgment."
I swallowed hard, nodded, and began my descent down the rocky slope.
I scrambled down to the ledge, navigating the shifting gravel until I reached Iqbal Sahab's side. My heart was pounding against my ribs as I pressed two fingers against his neck. A faint, steady rhythm met my touch.
I let out a massive sigh of relief. "He's alive!" I screamed up toward the opening.
With a strained grunt, I hoisted the Iqbal sahab's limp, heavy body over my shoulder. I grabbed the rope bound around my waist and gave it a hard, sharp tug, signaling Zafar to pull us up.
The rope stayed entirely slack.
"ZAFAR?!" I yelled, my voice echoing hollowly against the ravine walls. Confusion rapidly spiraled into sheer dread.
Up above, completely hidden from the rest of the camp in a blind spot beyond the danger line, Zafar stood frozen. He stared down at the rope in his hands, his breath hitching. *I wanted them both dead, his dark thoughts raced, a twisted temptation taking hold of him. Their lives are literally in my hands right now. If I just let go, they both plunge into the abyss. It would all be over.*
"ZAFAR!!" I screamed again, the terrifying silence from above suffocating me. "I shouldn't have trusted him," I whispered to myself, closing my eyes and bracing for the plunge.
Suddenly, the rope jerked taut.
Zafar had gripped it with both hands, digging his boots into the dirt. But the moment he applied pressure to haul our combined weight, the fragile ground beneath his feet groaned. The edge of the cliff began to crumble, rocks breaking away and plummeting into the dark gap below. The earth was giving way under the immense strain.
Realizing the immediate danger, Zafar dynamically shifted his stance. He threw himself backward, scrambling away from the disintegrating edge to change his position. Retreating a few paces back to where the terrain was solid and unbroken, he wrapped the anchor end of the rope around a deeply embedded, heavy boulder for leverage.
Using the rock as a pivot and pouring every ounce of his raw, brute strength into the line, Zafar strained against the weight. Bit by bit, he hauled us up over the lip of the ravine until we finally rolled onto the solid ground.
I collapsed onto the grass, gasping frantically for air alongside Zafar. Iqbal Sahab lay unconscious but safe beside us as our chests heaved in the quiet clearing.
"Thanks," I panted, looking over at him.
Zafar took a ragged breath, his voice laced with his usual pride despite his exhaustion. "When I kill the two of you... it will be with dignity. Betraying someone like this... goes against Zafar's code of honor."
I smirked slightly, shaking my head.
"This entire ledge could give way at any moment. Move out," Zafar said, pushing himself up and turning to leave.
"Aren't you going to help carry Iqbal Sahab?" I called out after him.
"I still hate him," Zafar muttered coldly, continuing to walk away.
Sighing, I strained to lift Iqbal Sahab back onto my shoulders and began dragging my feet forward. "Aliza has been overfeeding him, he's so heavy," I muttered under my breath.
After walking a short distance, my lungs burned. "Wait!" I gasped, completely out of breath. I carefully set Iqbal Sahab down on the ground to rest.
Zafar stopped and turned around, visibly annoyed. "Seriously?" he snapped.
"I am not a trained warrior like you!" I protested, wiping the sweat from my face. "I am just an ordinary guy who has never even held a sword."
Zafar's mocking expression faded, turning unusually serious. "But your father was one, wasn't he?" Zafar inquired.
"No. My father was a simple farmer," I replied.
Zafar stared at me, genuinely perplexed. "Then why are you here?"
I raised both eyebrows at him. "You tell me! You guys are the ones who brought me here."
"Uncle told me that you were one of his greatest conquests," Zafar mused, eyeing me suspiciously. "Which means there is definitely more to you than meets the eye."
A wave of profound sadness washed over me at the mention of my captivity. "Let's just go," I said quietly.
I hoisted Iqbal Sahab back up, and we resumed our long trek back to the camp.
When we finally arrived, the anxious crowd of workers was waiting for us. The moment Adi saw me, he sprinted forward.
"Are you okay?" Adi asked, checking me over.
I simply nodded, too tired to speak.
"Summon the doctor immediately!" Zafar commanded the workers.
As the camp scrambled into motion, I noticed Aliza standing partially hidden behind a large rock, watching anxiously. I carefully laid Iqbal Sahab down on a floor and walked over to her.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be fine," I assured her gently.
Her eyes swam with tears. "Nothing is fine! Iqbal Sahab isn't even conscious!"
"I know, but I checked his pulse myself. He is stable, and the doctor is on his way. Please, don't worry," I comforted her.
Aliza looked at me, her eyes scanning my face. "What about you? Are you alright?"
"Yeah. Can't you tell?" I replied, offering a weak, sarcastic smile.
A small, relieved smile broke through her tears.
Suddenly, Zafar's voice boomed from behind us, directing his words at her. "Don't worry. Everything is under control. Go back home."
The instant Aliza heard his voice, her smile vanished, replaced by an expression of absolute, searing rage. She turned, marched straight up to Zafar, and delivered a resounding, powerful slap right across his face.
Zafar didn't flinch. His expression remained completely stoic, staring straight ahead.
I stood there frozen, my mouth hanging wide open in utter shock.