Aahil tore down the road, his tires screeching as he braked and jumped out of the car. His breathing ragged and anxious, adrenaline pumping in his bloodstream.
It was a worn down, nondescript warehouse. Hardly dangerous looking. He walked in silently, disposing of the two hulking buffoons easily. He took a second to swallow convulsively.
All this while my Sanam was held by an old lady and 2 useless goons???
How could I not know?
How could I not know Sanam wasn't with me !!
Wasting no more time, he kicked down an inner door to more silence.
Then he saw her.
Weak, gaunt and bruised. Asleep.
Is she unconscious?
As he rushed towards her, he found his knees weak, seeing her this way was torturous. Almost near her he falls on his knees and crawls to her, gathering her up into his arms; holding her close to him.
"Sanam...??" Thick with tears, his voice was a barely audible whisper. He held her, thoughts paralysed, just rocking her back and forth in his embrace. She was breathing.
A sudden cough from her jolted him into action. Quickly he picked her up and ran to the car, making for the hospital.
***
Aahil watched her sleep the whole night. She slept without moving, so still that he kept putting his hand near her nose to check if she was still breathing. Not a sound.
It unnerved him. For two weeks she had been held prisoner, and he wasn't there for her. Just the thought made him feel like emptying his stomach contents.
And he had been blissfully unaware and was busy arranging to remarry with that...
That lookalike...
In hindsight, nothing was right about Sanam since the Kohinoor launch. He knew it but how in his wildest imaginations would he have known there was an exact duplicate of his wife walking around town?
But still he should have known. She walked differently, spoke differently, wasn't as graceful and calm. Not like his Jaan.
Rehan had dragged the woman to his study that night, furious. Initially, Aahil was about to beat Rehan up for manhandling Sanam, but Rehan's words stopped him.
"Aahil bhai, Sanam has been kidnapped !!"
"Wha- ?? What are you saying Rehan? She's right here!"
Rehan shook with anger and turned to "Sanam" in anger. "This is NOT Sanam, Aahil bhai..."
Aahil scratched his head, "Rehan..., look.."
"She is Sunehri. A humshakal. I know this woman. She is not Sanam.. This woman is a con artist. She swindles people for a living..." He threw a venomous look at Sunehri and she crumpled into the chair. "I fancied myself in love with her once. But she was right under my nose, conning you!! I am such a fool !! " Rehan sent a chair crashing into the wall in frustration.
Feeling goosebumps all over, he looked at the woman. Her big eyes darted everywhere in fear, suddenly not looking like Sanam at all.
He walked up to her, realizing he has been the biggest fool, craving for the attention of an impostor.
"Where is Sanam???! " Menacingly, he growled at the frightened woman, deep down alarmed that just moments ago, this was Sanam to him.
"Who has her Sunehri !! Speak for God's sake! Say something! There's no way out of this!" Rehan exploded.
"Razia bi..." came a meek reply. Aahil jumped into action leaving Rehan to deal with the woman. The older woman spilled the beans faster still. Aahil descended upon her with such a fury, she dissolved in a heap of pleading tears. And minutes later he found Sanam.
He wasn't about to let Sanam out of his sight. A phone call to Rehan revealed the impostor had run away. He wasn't going to risk being fooled again. He took out Sanam's taweez from his wallet and put it on her. He needed identification markers...
***
After he brought Sanam home from the hospital, he kept the impostor details a secret between the three of them. Not sure why but he wanted least people to know as possible, so he can investigate better. So they pretended but in private Aahil kept checking if she was the right Sanam, so upset at being fooled.
He came back from the office and walked into the kitchen. Sanam was cooking, mouth watering smells synonymous with her. But still he had to check.
"Ms. Dhabewalli...?"
Sanam looked up and smiled. A smile that warmed his suspicious heart.
"My Jalladh Jin... you're home!" And Aahil let out his breath in relief and smiled.
It was their code. Their secret greeting. No one else knew how they first met in Punjab at her dhaba.
That night he held her close as she was falling asleep. Every night he held her, beating himself over not knowing she was kidnapped, and needing him. She kept reassuring him she didn't blame him but he couldn't shake the feeling.
I'm your husband Sanam. I'm supposed to protect you from all this. I can't forgive myself for not knowing..."
"Did you hold her like this too?" Sanam asked quietly.
Aahil was very glad the impostor snubbed him all those times, for God knows he tried to get close multiple times.
"No... nothing untoward happened. She took up a different room. Here I thought you were snubbing me, all the while you were actually in danger!!"
Sanam couldn't bear to tell him that she had escaped and came home too, even called his phone, all to no avail. He wouldn't be able to take it...
Aahil snuggled with her close. He wasn't going to lose her again.
But who is this lookalike? And why was she impersonating Sanam?
Aahil fell asleep with that thought, holding his wife close.
"Goodnight Ms. Dhabewali..."
"Goodnight my Jalladh Jin..."
-fin-
Thanks for reading...
This was a short attempt at imagining what might happen when Aahil finally found out what had happened to Sanam...
Let's hope SaHil get back together soon!!
Music Corner
Mannat Har Khushi Paane Ki
