Writer: Azizullah Kakar
Part I
Once, in a bustling city, there lived a man named Pajwak. What was his mission? What was his goal? And what was the nature of his vengeance? I, Azizullah Kakar, shall narrate his story for you.
The red and blue police lights flickered through the dead of night like open wounds on the body of darkness. The city was not silent, but its voice was buried under a shadow of fear—a fear stemming from names no one dared to utter.
In the midst of this heavy silence stood a young man with a firm stature, eyes seasoned by experience, and a heart that had been consumed by the fires of revenge years ago. His name was Pajwak; he was a man of purpose, yet to many, he was nothing more than a dangerous legend. A man who once worked for the mafia and had now become the very nightmare his enemies fled from.
Pajwak held his weapon not with haste, but with a lethal calm. His gaze was locked on the scene ahead: several police cruisers, bodies covered in white sheets, and officers searching frantically in every direction. But what surged in Pajwak's eyes was neither fear nor astonishment; it was a profound understanding of what lay hidden behind this incident.
"This is only the beginning..." he whispered grimly.
At another corner of the city, in a building where the lights stayed on until midnight, Nargis Farahmand sat at her desk. She was one of the finest intelligence analysts—a woman with a sharp mind and a spirit that did not easily surrender to any power. Multiple monitors glowed before her, each displaying different angles of tonight's incident.
Nargis studied the images meticulously. "This isn't the work of an ordinary group," she said softly. "This is a message."
Her colleague, Setara Ahmadi, who stood beside her, asked, "To whom?"
Nargis paused, then replied, "To someone who hasn't entered the game yet... or perhaps, someone who has just returned."
At that moment, one of the monitors turned black, and a short message appeared:
"The time for reckoning is near."
Nargis held her breath. That sentence was hauntingly familiar.
On the other side of town, in a dark room thick with cigarette smoke, sat men whose pasts were written in betrayal, power, and blood. Among them, a man with a cold face and a piercing gaze leaned back in his chair. His name was Sulaiman Khan, a pillar of the international mafia with deep roots in India, who had led a network of smuggling, money laundering, and assassinations for years.
He placed his glass slowly on the table and said, "Pajwak has returned."
A heavy silence fell over the room. One of the men asked hesitantly, "Are you sure? It might just be a rumor."
Khan smirked. "No... this is his work. I know him. When he moves, blood flows."
Another man said anxiously, "If it is truly him, we must strike first."
Khan shook his head. "No... Pajwak cannot be defeated with haste. He waits, he watches... and then he strikes. We need to know what he wants." He paused, then added, "And more importantly... why return now?"
That same night, Pajwak sat in his small apartment. The lights were off, and only a faint glow from the street filtered into the room. He was looking at an old photograph—a photo of a woman with a warm smile and eyes full of hope.
"Leila... I'm back," he said quietly.
Memories crashed over his mind like heavy waves. The nights they had laughed together, the promises they had made, and that ill-fated night... the night everything was ripped away from him.
Pajwak clenched his fists. "This time... no one gets away."
Suddenly, the sound of the doorbell broke the silence. He rose calmly, picked up his weapon, and approached the door. He listened for a moment before opening it.
He opened the door to find Nargis. Their eyes locked for a second—two different worlds, two paths filled with secrets.
Nargis was the first to break the silence. "I knew it was you."
"And I knew you'd find me," Pajwak replied in a low voice.
Nargis took a step forward. "Pajwak... what has started here is much bigger than personal revenge."
Pajwak didn't break eye contact. "For me, everything is personal."
Nargis sighed. "Then at least let me help you. Because the enemy you're hunting... isn't just your enemy."
Pajwak remained silent for a moment, then stepped aside to let her in. "Come inside."
Hours later, complex maps, classified documents, and photos of various faces were spread across the table. Nargis explained while Pajwak listened intently.
"It's not just a network... it's an empire," Nargis continued. "From arms trafficking to political infiltration, and at the head of it all... is Sulaiman Khan."
Pajwak repeated the name, as if tasting it. "Sulaiman Khan..."
Nargis nodded. "Yes. And what you need to know is... Leila's death wasn't an accident."
Those words pierced Pajwak's heart like a dagger. "What are you saying?"
Nargis pointed to one of the photos. "She was the target, but not because of who she was... because of you."
A deathly silence filled the room. "Why?" Pajwak asked hollowly.
"Because you had something they wanted," Nargis replied. "And they still want it."
Pajwak's eyes narrowed. "What thing?"
Nargis looked directly at him. "A truth that could destroy all of them."
Meanwhile, in a distant location, Sulaiman Khan watched a large screen displaying Pajwak's apartment. With a cigarette in hand, he chuckled softly.
"The game has begun..." he smiled—a smile that promised a storm of blood and betrayal.
Inside the dimly lit apartment, the tension between Pajwak and Nargis was palpable. Pajwak lit a cigarette, the smoke curling into the air. His eyes wouldn't leave Sulaiman Khan's photo.
"So... it all starts with him?"
Nargis lowered her head slightly. "No... don't be mistaken. He is just one of the major pieces. But behind the curtain, there are people whose names aren't even recorded in any file."
"And you're telling me Leila... was a victim of a larger game?" Pajwak asked.
Nargis sighed. "Pajwak, I don't want to reopen your wounds. But the truth is, Leila wasn't just a target... she was a key."
Pajwak snapped his head up. "A key to what?"
Nargis hesitated. "A key to accessing information that you... ran away from years ago."
Pajwak's eyes darkened. "I didn't run away from anything."
Nargis gave a bitter smile. "We all run from something, Pajwak. Some from the past, some from the truth... and some from themselves."
Pajwak crushed his cigarette in the ashtray. "Enough! Tell me straight—what do they want?"
Nargis pointed to her laptop and opened a file. An image of a small hard drive appeared. "This."
"What is it?"
"An encrypted drive, but not an ordinary one. It contains information on the entire mafia network—from transactions to the names hidden within government offices."
Pajwak looked at her in surprise. "And you think... I had this?"
"I don't think so," Nargis looked at him. "I'm certain."
A heavy silence followed. "I've never seen such a thing," Pajwak said quietly.
"Maybe because you hid it... even from yourself," Nargis suggested.
Just then, a faint sound came from outside. Pajwak instantly reached for his gun, gesturing to Nargis. "Stay low."
The lights went out. Both remained in the darkness. The sound of soft footsteps drew closer, then stopped. A few seconds of silence... then the sudden crash of breaking glass!
Pajwak fired without hesitation, the muzzle flashes tearing through the night. Nargis hit the floor. "How many are there?" she shouted.
Pajwak scanned the shadows. "At least three... they're professionals."
A man's voice called out from outside: "Pajwak! Better to surrender alive, boy."
Pajwak smiled—a smile that smelled of death. "You made a huge mistake coming here." He looked at Nargis. "Go through the back door. I'll handle this."
"No! I—" Nargis protested.
"This isn't an order... it's a request. Go!"
Nargis paused, then whispered, "Watch yourself."
"I always do," Pajwak replied without looking back.
The firefight erupted. Bullets streaked through the dark, glass shattered, and walls were riddled with holes. Pajwak moved with flawless skill—every move calculated, every shot precise.
"He's alone! Move in!" one of the attackers yelled. A moment later, the sound of his body hitting the floor echoed.
"Alone... but enough," Pajwak muttered.
After a few minutes, silence returned. Three bodies lay on the ground. Pajwak took a deep breath. "They started early, the bastards..." He went to the window, but saw nothing but rain and darkness.
At that same moment, Nargis was running through a dark alley, her heart pounding. Suddenly, a voice came from behind her: "Freeze!"
She stopped and turned slowly to face a woman dressed in black. Cold eyes, a black outfit, and a gun pointed directly at Nargis.
"You shouldn't be in this game," the woman said.
"And who are you to decide that?" Nargis asked firmly.
The woman smiled. "Someone who could remove you from this game right now."
"Really? Then why haven't you?"
The woman stepped closer. "Because maybe... you're still useful to me."
"For what?"
"For delivering a message to Pajwak."
Minutes later, Pajwak was walking by the road. The rain had intensified. He saw Nargis, drenched. He rushed to her. "Are you okay? What happened?"
Nargis took a shaky breath. "They... they sent a message."
Pajwak narrowed his eyes. "What message?"
Nargis looked him in the eye. "They said the game has changed... and this time, they set the rules."
Pajwak gave a cold laugh. "Rules?" He looked at the sky. "I've never played by their rules."
"Pajwak... this isn't just a threat. They know you. They know everything."
"Good," Pajwak replied. "Because now, I know them too."
Elsewhere, Sulaiman Khan listened to the report. "The first team... failed," one of his men said.
"I expected as much," Khan said calmly.
"Your next command?"
Khan thought for a moment, then smiled. "Make the game more complex."
"How?"
"Bring in someone," Khan said softly, "that Pajwak cannot fire upon."
The man asked in confusion, "You mean...?"
"His past," Khan whispered.
Pajwak and Nargis stood together—two people against a storm that had only just begun.
"Pajwak... if you continue down this path, you might lose everything," Nargis said quietly.
"I lost everything years ago," Pajwak replied without looking at her. He paused. "Now, only one thing remains."
"What?" Nargis asked.
Pajwak stared into the darkness. "Revenge."
To be continued...