Kashmakash

Part 26

Thank you guys for all your wishes and prayers. I have a broken arm, so I am able to type with only my right hand; and its very frustrating. But, then the ideas come to me for next chapter and I couldn't help but write further. Hope you like it.

Shower your love :)

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Hyder stood on the balcony, gazing at the stars, his mind now more at ease than it had been in years. He had finally let go of the demons that had haunted him for so long. It was not that he had overcome his inhibitions but now he was ready to face them. His contemplation was interrupted by the sound of melodious giggles wafting through the night air.

"Hyder ko pata chala naa to hum dono ki shamat hai," Naaziya's voice rang out.

Zain, her brother, scolded her, "Tumhe bhi yahi jagah mili thi chupane ki?"

"Ammi nahi aati yaha" she explained.

"Bhaijaan to aate hai... upar hi unka room hai," she replied nonchalantly.

"Hyder to thoda daant ke chor denge... biwi se koi pange leta hai kya?" she added sassily.

"Aur mera kya?" Zain asked, feigning offense.

"Arey, aap to bade saale hai... kuch nahi hoga," Naaziya quipped.

As they chatted, they took out some leftover food, and Hyder heard them making affectionate noises, "muwh, muwh." He assumed they were calling a kitten or a puppy, but to his surprise, a piglet emerged from the bushes.

The siblings fed the piglet, and as they turned to go back to their room, they found Hyder towering over them, a stern expression on his face. Hyder raised an eyebrow, silently inquiring about their actions.

"Bhai... bhai... bhai... maine kuch nahi kiya... Naaz hi laayi thi," Zain stammered and quickly scurried away to his room.

Hyder was left alone with Naaziya. He questioned her, "Ye kya hai, Naaz?"

Naaziya approached him, attempting to put her arms around him, but Hyder stepped back, keeping a safe distance. He wore a disgusted expression as he said, "You are not touching me with those dirty hands."

Naaziya pouted, feeling offended. "Ganda nahi hai wo, roz nahata hai," she protested.

"Aur kaun nehlata hai isko?" Hyder questioned.

"Main, aur kaun?" Naaziya replied with pride.

"Bahut acche, aur kab tak plan hai isko rakhne ka?" he asked, his annoyance evident.

"Mera pet hai, to hamesha hi rahega," Naaziya stated matter-of-factly.

"Suar hai, isko kaun pet rakhta hai?" Hyder tried to reason with her.

"Bahut log, dekha hai maine YouTube pe," she defended herself.

"Pagal ladki, wo miniature pigs hote hai. Ye wala bada hoga, 300 kilo ka ho jayega," Hyder tried to inject some sense into her.

"Humne nahi pata, humara pet hai bas," Naaziya said defiantly before storming off to her room.

Unfortunately for her, that was the last time she saw her pet. Hyder had arranged for it to be sent to a farm the very next morning, much to Naaziya's dismay.

**

Hyder sat in his office, visibly frustrated. It had been nearly a week since Naaziya had been ignoring him, and it seemed like the entire office was feeling the brunt of his irritation. He was typing furiously on his laptop, his fingers pounding the keys, when his office door swung open. Hyder groaned, his patience running thin. "It better be important for you to miss knocking the door," he snapped, glaring at Sohaib and Zain, who had barged in.

"Bhai, wo Talco ke manager ka phone aaya tha. He is asking to deliver the order 15 days before the decided date. They are saying if we do not deliver it by then, they will cancel the deal," Sohaib explained, nervously avoiding Hyder's gaze.

Hyder's frustration simmered, but he remained calm as he asked, "And what did you guys say?"

"Bhai, we tried our best to convince them, but they are adamant," Zain replied.

Hyder smacked his table in irritation "You guys are bunch of fools" he yelled and then picked up the phone, immediately calling his secretary. "Connect me to Telco," he ordered.

"I heard you are expecting the order 15 days before the planned date. Can I know the reason?" Hyder asked calmly, his tone laced with authority.

"Mr. Siddique, we have a promotion planned next month with these new products. If we do not get the order by then, we may have to cancel the promotion campaign, and it could cause us a heavy loss," the Telco representative explained.

Hyder leaned back in his chair; his voice unwavering. "You did not plan accordingly, so it's your problem. Why are you forcing us to deliver early?"

"Mr. Siddique, I don't think you understand. If you do not deliver by the requested time, then we will CANCEL the entire order," Mr. Bisht warned.

Hyder leaned forward, unfazed. "Mr. Bisht, you can go ahead and cancel the order, but remember to read the contract before that. Still, you will need to pay us for the order as 120 days have passed after the SOW was signed."

Mr. Bisht fell into a tense silence, and Hyder continued, his voice firm. "Since you need the order early, and we have already completed 50% of the order, we will air-deliver it. Of course, the additional cost for the expedited delivery will be borne by you. And since we are delivering it a month early, we will charge 120% of the agreed-upon cost. Let Zain know of your decision."

"Sure, Mr. Siddique. I will discuss it with Mr. Verma personally," Mr. Bisht conceded.

Hyder concluded the conversation with a final warning, "And Mr. Bisht, next time, do not make demands; instead, come up with a deal. I can easily reject a demand, but a deal we can negotiate."

As the call ended, Zain and Sohaib wore grins of admiration. "Kya attitude tha bhai, aur wo deal and demand ki line; Zeher thi," they worshiped him. But Hyder merely glared at them, gesturing for them to get out of his office as he returned to his work.

**

Naaziya was in tears, surrounded by her concerned brothers. "Naazo, bas bhi karo. Sirf 3 din hi to tha tumhare paas aur tum pure 5 din se ro rahi ho. Aur bhai theek bhi hai, pata hai kitni bimaariya hoti," Sameer tried to console her.

Hyder, who had heard her loud wails from the main door, entered her room quietly, concerned about her emotional state.

"Aaa..aap ko..p..p..pata hai. Zain bol raha tha..pigs ko maar ke porrrrk," she cried, her voice trembling as she struggled to complete her sentence. Hyder couldn't help but curse Zain under his breath for telling her future her of her so-called pet.

"Arre wo bacha hai, usse kaun maar raha hai," Hyder retorted, his frustration mounting.

"Matlab abhi nahi to bade hoke to maar denge naa. Aap to yahi chahte hai," Naaziya scolded him, her tears continuing to flow.

"Naaz, ab bas karo. I will not allow ki tum suar pet rakho," Hyder declared, his frustration getting the better of him.

"And I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU IN MY ROOM," she shouted, pushing him out of the room along her.

When thrown out of Naazia's room, Hyder looked helplessly at the closed door in front of him. Sohaib couldn't resist adding a sly comment as he smirked and said, "Bhai, next time do not demand but come up with a deal," before swiftly escaping to avoid his brother's wrath.