Episode 4

Part 1 - The Search

“Are you okay?” Ahmed asked Armeena, who was staring out the window.

“I don’t know… Anmol was so upset, and I couldn’t understand her. I wish she would come in front of me once so I could tell her how much I love her... that she should’ve shared things with me. Why couldn’t I understand her? Why wasn’t I there for her when she needed me the most?”

Tears now rolled down her cheeks.

Ahmed pulled the car over and offered her his handkerchief, but Armeena didn’t take it. She stepped out of the car. Both of them walked into the university. They were now sitting in the camera room, watching the screen. On it, they saw Anmol getting into a black car. Armeena suddenly felt something click in her mind — she had seen that car before.

“Ahmed, isn’t that the same car that passed by us when we were eating gol gappay?” she said, remembering.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean it’s the exact same car. It could be someone else’s,” Ahmed replied, slightly unsure.

“No, Ahmed. I remember the number plate, and there was ‘DEVIL’ written on the back window. This car has the same thing! This can’t be a coincidence.”

Ahmed understood the seriousness, and both of them rushed to the car and drove off.

—

At Home

It was exactly 8 PM when Armeena reached home. As soon as she stepped inside, she saw her family sitting outside. Ali, her brother, who had been pacing for an hour, walked up to her, grabbed her by the hair, and threw her at her father’s feet.

“Ask her where she’s coming from!” he shouted angrily.

“Baba, I just came from meeting Anmol’s friend...” Armeena explained everything.

“How can we believe anything you're saying?” Ali snapped.

“I’ll take you all to Rania’s house. She’ll explain everything too.”

A while later, Armeena, Ali, and her father were outside Rania’s house. They knocked for a long time.

“Does anyone even live here?” her father asked, looking suspiciously at Armeena.

“Abu, I came here in the morning. I’m telling the truth,” she insisted.

Even after knocking for 15 minutes, no one answered. Armeena took out her phone and called Ahmed.

“Hello Ahmed, tell them where we went this morning and who we met,” she said.

Ahmed immediately understood from her voice what was going on.

“We went to meet Rania. Why? What’s happening, Meena?” Ahmed asked, worried.

Before Armeena could answer, Ali snatched the phone and cut the call.

“Oh, so you’ve been going around with this boy and ruining our family’s name?” he shouted, pulling her back to the rickshaw.

At Home

As soon as they got home, Sajjad Sahib (her father) shouted at her:

“From now on, you’re not stepping out of this house! We’ll arrange something for you soon.”

“Baba, I’m telling the truth,” Armeena cried, tears rolling down.

“Enough! I’ll find a proposal and get you married off,” her mother Sadia Begum said coldly.

Armeena didn’t say anything and quietly went to her room. All she wanted now was sleep.

The Next Day – 3 PM

Sadia Begum woke Armeena up.

“Get up and get ready. Some people are coming to see you today,” she said in a cold tone.

“Ammi, I don’t want to get married. I won’t even step outside the house anymore. I won’t give you any more reason to complain,” Armeena cried.

But she realized that her mother’s heart had truly turned to stone.

Whether it was her prayers being answered or something else, the people who were supposed to come that day were now coming tomorrow.

That night at 1 AM, Armeena woke up. She heard Anmol’s voice, crying and sobbing in her ears. She instinctively covered her ears. She didn’t want to hear it.

She got up and stood in front of the mirror.

“She’s calling out to you in her pain. And you’re here thinking only about yourself?”

“No... I just don’t want to hurt my family anymore...”

“Who’s in more pain right now — your family, or your sister? Think about it. She needs you more than anyone.”

Armeena walked to her brother’s room, found his phone under the pillow, and rushed back to her own room. She called Ahmed.

“Hello Ahmed, where are you?”

“I found Anmol’s call records. I’m checking them now. Are you okay?” he asked.

Armeena told him everything.

Ahmed stopped typing and looked serious.

“What do you want to do now?” he asked.

“I just want to find Anmol. I know she’s in danger.”

Ahmed closed his laptop and stood up.

“Anmol… she wouldn’t give up like this.” Armeena said quietly.

“If you’ve made your decision, then stick to it. I’ll come pick you up in half an hour. Get ready and take what you need.” Ahmed started his car.

“Okay,” Armeena hung up.

She packed some clothes in a bag, placed a family photo on top, and zipped it shut. She changed into a white shirt, black pants, and a black leather jacket. She tied her hair in a ponytail — she no longer liked open hair, nor did her eyes smile anymore.

But she was no longer the same girl. She was now leaving to bring back her family’s lost happiness and trust. She had one choice: all or nothing.

Present

A little while later, they were inside a house where some men had Mike on his knees. Ahmed and Armeena were sitting in front of him.

“Mike, where is Anmol?” Ahmed asked, grabbing his face.

“I don’t know where she is,” Mike replied, looking into Ahmed’s eyes.

“Weren’t you the one who picked her up in the black car on December 2nd? And what about the letter she sent to her family?”

“Tell your guys to let me go, I’ll tell you everything,” Mike said.

Ahmed nodded, and the men stepped back.

“Now speak,” he said, sitting next to Armeena.

“I first saw Anmol while she was leaving university. I really liked her. I proposed, but she refused. I kept trying, but she hit me once… so I sent her away,” Mike admitted.

“Sent her where?” Ahmed asked.

“Some people were taking girls away. They offered me 10 lakh rupees for one girl. So…”

“So you SOLD my sister for 10 lakh rupees?” Armeena spoke up, coldly.

“Yes. I’m sorry,” Mike said, hanging his head.

“Oh, you’re sorry?” Armeena got up.

She looked around and found a bike timing belt hanging on the wall. She grabbed it.

“So you’re SORRY?” she repeated, walking toward him, her smile cold and dangerous.

“Armeena, stop!”Orhan got up.

“Don’t come near me. I said DON’T COME NEAR!” Armeena warned.

Then, she started beating Mike mercilessly. His screams echoed through the house. She had lost all control. She had lost her humanity.

“You’re sorry? After selling my sister? How dare you even look at her?” she shouted, hitting him again and again.

Mike eventually passed out, bloodied and broken. Still, Armeena didn’t stop. Ahmed finally stepped in and took the belt from her.