1

“Sign this and get lost,” the general Kadir said to the girl standing in front of him as he threw the papers at her.

“General, this is not how the system works,” she dared to raise her voice against him but he took two strides in front of her before a loud slap echoed in the dark room.

The light coming from behind flickered as she looked at him. Her red eyes gave away the amount of pain she was experiencing.

“Dealing with the Russians, behind the back of your mulk (country) you should be murdered for this,” he said as his hand reached her cheek one more time.

Her body was burnished badly, one would be horrified to see the amount of red, black and purple marks on her body; the tank top on her body was barely covering her chest as it was torn from all sides.

That is how much they beat her.

Her eyes were swollen, not from crying but because she received punches on them.

“If you had not been my niece, I would have killed you myself for going against the country,” General Kadir said as her eyes snapped to his; a small smile made its way to her cut up lips.

It pained to even smile as well.

“Why are you saving me General Kadir, I deserve to be killed like other officers,” She said as she finally managed to open the knot of the ropes her hands were tied by.

“Maybe because I raised you Shazia khan, like a daughter I may add,” Kadir khan’s voice first time had a hint of warmth in it.

Unlike the cold aura like always, he was giving a hint of humanity in him. He knows sending her away may cost him his life, he was betraying his words as an officer.

“General Kadir, the situation demanded the need to kill those two, it was simplify a collateral damage,” She said, her voice cold as if someone who died in her cross shooting did not take lives of 50 people, including women and children along with 30 males.

“These are your tickets to USA, go away from here and never return,” General Kadir said as he passed the stamp pad to her.

“In the files you are going to declare me dead?” She asked as she looked at the papers in her hand.

“They know you will not sign so the last option is killing you and taking your thumb print,” He said.

“I want to talk to the wazir-e-azam, General,” Shania said after thinking for a few moments.

It was not even a second later a gunshot sound filled the room. Shazia fell on the floor, a bullet in her chest as she looked in front of her.

General Kadir shot her.

“I asked you to leave, respectfully, but you chose this,” He said before spreading petrol all around the room.

“Now in the files, this will just be a collateral damage, a banished officer died in the office fire,” he said as her eyes fluttered close, the struggle with pain to stay alive was making her go insane already. She was trying her best to press pressure on the wound.

The burning pain flew in her veins as General Kadir kicked her stomach. “ughhhh,” She cried as a tear escaped her eyes.

Kadir looked at the camera and smiled, “Delete it,” He said, knowing very well his men on the other side will delete it in the next second, Kadir threw a bit of petrol on the camera as well and walked out of the room before he turned around and lit a lighter.

“NOoooo!” her scream echoed in the whole place but there was no one to help her. Shania Khan was going to die this way.

Kadir dropped the lighter on the ground within a second the petrol caught fire. Shazia looked around crawling. She has to get out of there otherwise they would burn her alive.

The system would not let her live nor die.

The fire spread in the room within seconds as a smile made its way to his lips, “Khuda hafiz,” (goodbye) walking away he did not even once flinch as the screams echoed in the hall.

The red alert filled the place as security door were closed in the next second as they detected fire.

“Everyone out, call the fireman someone!” Kadir acted as if he was very frightened.

“General Kadir!” they ran out from the fire exit as he pretended to look for Shazia.

“Anyone seen Shazia? Shazia?” He acted so well, as if he was so worried about his niece!

“Someone please look for Shazia! Shazia!” He cried like a helpless father as the other higher officers looked at him.

“Shazia my child!” he cried helplessly.

“General Kadir we will find her, don’t worry!” They said as the security alarm stopped for a second before the place they came off from blasted throwing all of them away from the force of fire.

“SHAZIA!” he called for her but there was no answer other than the loud ringing in his ears.

“Goodbye Shazia Khan!” He murmured under his breath as he continued to look for her calling her name.

.

General Kadir Khan,” Major Sheik stood in front of him as he stood up giving him a salute. It was his duty no matter how happy or sad he was.

He had to follow the rules.

“Will you be able to identify, Shazia khan by her belongings?” Major sheik asked as he stood still for a few seconds as if he got the biggest shock of his life.

“Yes major,” his voice was low almost broken.

“I know this is not easy for you but Shazia was found dead in the fire,” Major announced as Kadir looked at the bag in Major’s hands.

“She cheated the country, she cheated me but she was still my niece,” he whispered.

“She got what she deserved, General Kadir,” Major Sheik said. His voice held no remorse. And why would he? He was happy a cheater of the country was gone, for good!

“Body 78’s belongings,” it read as he internally danced. Shazia was dead. His happiness just increased when he saw the chain of his late sister in the bag around with some burned stuff.

He pretended to fell on the floor as he looked at the chain in his hand.

“It’s Shazia’s,” he announced and just like that. Shazia khan was declared dead.