Scene 1 – Morning in the Hospital
The soft morning sunlight filtered through the curtains of the ward. The quiet beeping of machines and the faint scent of antiseptic filled the air. Sara, dressed in a fresh hospital gown, leaned forward slightly on the edge of her bed. Her legs trembled as she tried to steady herself.
Noman, standing close beside her, reached out quickly.
"Careful, Sara… don't rush," he said in a calm, protective tone, his hand firmly holding her arm.
Sara pressed her lips together and tried again, her bare feet touching the cold floor tiles. With a deep breath, she pushed herself upward. Slowly, shakily, she stood on her own two feet for the first time in weeks.
Her eyes widened, and she smiled faintly.
"I did it… Noman, I'm standing."
Noman's eyes filled with emotion. He supported her by holding her elbow as she made a small step.
"Yes, you are. MashAllah… step by step, Sara. I'm here."
Sara paused, breathing hard, then looked at him seriously.
"Do you remember… after Mama and Baba's airplane crash last year… the day we came back from the funeral? You hugged me so tightly and said, 'I'll protect you from everything bad, and I'll never leave you alone.'"
Noman nodded slowly. His jaw tightened as he recalled that heartbreaking moment.
"I remember, Sara. I said it because I meant it. And I still mean it. If Mama were here, she would never allow me to let you come here alone."
A tear slipped down Sara's cheek, but she quickly brushed it away with a smile.
"You forgot my clothes at home though."
Noman laughed softly, shaking his head.
"Yeah… everything was rushing down that day. But see? You got new clothes just as you were demanding from me."
Sara chuckled.
"Every time you say that—'wait for the new collection at Amana Superstore.' You think I don't notice?"
Their light-hearted banter filled the room with warmth. For a brief moment, the pain of the past months seemed to fade.
At that very instant, the door creaked open, and Dr. Ayesha stepped inside with her clipboard. She noticed Sara standing with Noman's help, her face glowing with happiness.
"Well, look at this," Dr. Ayesha said warmly. "Our brave patient on her feet again."
Sara beamed.
"Doctor, I'm finally standing."
Dr. Ayesha walked closer, checked Sara's vitals, and listened to her heartbeat with the stethoscope. Then she placed a hand gently on Sara's shoulder.
"I think you're getting stronger every day. It won't be long now before you'll be ready to go home."
Sara's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Really? That soon?"
"Yes," Dr. Ayesha smiled. "But no rushing. Healing is like climbing stairs—you don't jump to the top. You take it one step at a time. Understood?"
Noman nodded quickly.
"Understood, Doctor. I'll make sure she takes it easy."
Sara rolled her eyes playfully.
"Great, another supervisor."
The room echoed with laughter—something that had been missing for far too long.
---
Scene 2 – Police Station, Islamabad
The atmosphere inside the interrogation wing of the Islamabad police headquarters was tense. The walls were painted in dull gray, a ceiling fan whirred overhead, and two separate interrogation rooms were active at once.
In the first room, Najma Khatoon sat across from Senior Officer Habiba Khan, a stern and sharp-minded officer known for her uncompromising stance. Two female constables stood by the door.
Najma's wrists were bound with steel handcuffs. Her usually confident face now carried exhaustion and traces of fear.
Habiba Khan leaned forward.
"Najma Khatoon, enough games. You were caught red-handed. Thirty innocent girls were rescued from your house. Do you realize what you've done to their lives?"
Najma avoided eye contact, her fingers tapping nervously on the table.
"I was just… just doing business. That's all. Nothing personal."
Habiba's voice hardened.
"Business? Destroying young women's lives is business to you?"
Najma finally looked up, her tone cold but slightly trembling.
"I only worked for money. Zafar Ibrahim pays in dollars. I send girls to him, aged between eighteen to twenty-five. That's all."
Habiba's pen froze mid-note.
"So you admit you were working for Zafar Ibrahim?"
Najma exhaled heavily.
"Yes. He's in Dubai. He runs everything. Drugs, weapons, women, smuggling… everything."
Habiba narrowed her eyes.
"You're confessing now, but what about the girls you ruined? You think dollars can buy forgiveness?"
Najma looked away, silent.
---
Scene 3 – Interrogation Room Two
Meanwhile, in the adjacent room, DSP Farooq and his team interrogated three men: Qamar, Asif, and Bilal. All three sat nervously, sweat dripping from their brows under the harsh fluorescent light.
DSP Farooq slammed a file on the table.
"Your game is over. Speak the truth, and maybe the court will show some leniency. Lie, and you'll rot for life."
Qamar, the oldest of the three, finally broke down. His voice cracked.
"We worked for Zafar Ibrahim… he's our king. He controls everything from Dubai."
Farooq's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean by everything?"
Qamar swallowed hard.
"Not just in Pakistan, sir. His network… it's across Asia. Drugs, weapons, human trafficking, smuggling goods—food items, electronics, clothes, you name it. His men are everywhere."
Asif nodded quickly, adding,
"We only followed orders. If anyone refused, they disappeared. Sir, we were trapped."
Farooq's voice was cold.
"Trapped? Or greedy? You took money to sell your own people."
Bilal shook his head desperately.
"We had no choice, sir. But… we'll testify. We'll tell everything in court."
Farooq exchanged a glance with his team and scribbled notes.
---
Scene 4 – Linking the Confessions
Hours later, both interrogation reports were placed on DSP Farooq's desk. He sat with Officer Habiba Khan and Haroon, the intelligence officer who had been chasing the case from the beginning.
Farooq tapped his fingers on the desk.
"So it's confirmed. Zafar Ibrahim is the mastermind. Operating from Dubai, using local agents like Najma Khatoon and these three men."
Habiba nodded grimly.
"And it's bigger than we thought. This isn't just human trafficking. It's drugs, weapons, smuggling—an empire."
Haroon leaned forward, his voice determined.
"Then it's time to take this to the next level. Court, media, Interpol. We can't let this snake keep hiding in Dubai."
Farooq closed the file.
"For now, our job is to present Najma, Qamar, Asif, and Bilal in court. Their confessions are strong. Let the judiciary decide. But this fight…" he paused, looking at both of them, "…this fight is just beginning."
---
Scene 5 – Hospital Corridor
Back in the hospital, Sara walked slowly in the corridor with Noman's arm supporting her. Her steps were shaky, but her smile was steady. Nurses passed by, smiling at her progress.
Sara whispered,
"Do you think life will ever be normal again, Noman?"
Noman tightened his grip on her shoulder.
"It will, Sara. We've lost too much already. But now… I won't let anything take you away from me. Not again."
Sara leaned her head against his arm briefly, whispering softly,
"Promise?"
"Promise," Noman replied, his voice firm.
As the siblings walked slowly down the corridor, light from the window streamed onto them, symbolizing the long but hopeful road ahead.