Zaffar left the Shah"s palace and was riding to his barracks.. his mind was elsewhere.. scenes started playing one after the other in his mind.. the gutters.. the brothels.. the dark alleyways of Sultanabad..A little boy was running in a dark alleyway.. there was an open drain running parallel to the alley.. he was out of breath.. but he didn"t stop.. he heard fast footsteps approaching him from back.. he increased his speed.. but he felt scared.. he didn"t wish to be caught..
There were three men chasing that boy.. one of them shouted.. "you little thief.. come back.. else I will chop off your limbs... "that man had a butcher"s knife in his hand.. the boy gulped.. his throat was becoming dry.. his heart was beating very fast.. he didn"t stop..
The alleyway opened into a big lane... there was a river running alongside..the river was flowing with a heavy current...a few hundred meters from this spot, the river would break into a waterfall.. the other side of the river bank was covered in thick forests.. full of wild animals, bandits, savage tribes.. he looked behind him.. he knew that these men would not spare him.. he took a deep breath and dived into the river..
The water splashed and the men stopped.. one of them said, "the water flows with a rapid current.. the kid will surely die hitting his head on rocks.. if he luckily escapes the river.. the wild things in the forest would take his life... let"s go.. " the others nodded and went back..
The boy was drifting away in the river.. the fast currents didn"t let him get away.. by luck he came across a log...he held on to it with all his strength...he was drifting away fast..he thought his end was near..the water fall was a steep drop of sixty feet..he would die for sure... suddenly he slowed down.. he opened his eyes.. he saw that he was caught in a net.. he was being pulled.. he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep..
The boy opened his eyes, he was in a tent.. there was a person standing beside him.. the boy looked at him with grat.i.tude... he opened his mouth to thank him.. the man said, "save your grat.i.tude.. once you say thanks.. you would not remain thankful.. if you really intend to pay me back...work for me.. " he added.. "loyally.. " the boy looked at him and nodded in agreement.. the man asked the boy.. "what"s your name? " the boy replied.. "Mir Al Zaffar.. "
The man said, "parents? " Zaffar said, "my father died due to a disease.. my mother turned into a wh.o.r.e to earn bread and take care of me.. when my mother lacks customers, I steal things. like bread and meat ... people spared me often,as they had pity for my background..but none helped us ... but this butcher didn"t like me stealing from him.. he asked my mother to become his keep..he said we would never be hungry again..but everyone knew that he killed his wife.. he was a s.a.d.i.s.t.. so my mother rejected his offer.. now he wanted to kill me for a petty theft.. I hope my mother is ok .. " the man said, "if I kil the butcher.. will you be happy? " Zaffar said, "yes.. I would be.. " the man said, "what if you killed him yourself? " Zaffar said, "I am small, only twelve years old.. " the man said, "I will teach you.. " in two weeks, Zaffar went to the other side of the bank... into Sultanabad.. and killed the butcher.. before being killed the butcher dug his finger nails deep into Zaffar"s face and left a deep scar.. Zaffar fled the city ..he knew that no one would dare to hurt his mother...Zaffar gave the money he stole from the butcher to his mother...with that money she started a brothel, recruiting all the orphan girls ..she taught them well how to pleasure men ..she took good care of them and never let anyone hurt them..
The man who taught Zaffar said, "scars turn a boy into a man. .. " Zaffar looked at himself in the mirror and said, "I am a man now. "