Around the colony were fields of millet, which made the area extremely quiet. Khawar used to visit Naveed from time to time, and this was the part of the day when the streets of the colony were completely deserted. Because of the intense heat outside, everyone stayed indoors. Therefore, when Khawar entered the colony, he suddenly felt as if he had entered a graveyard.
He was walking along a lonely road with sugarcane fields on both sides. The fields made him feel even hotter, and at the same time he felt a slight sense of fear. He had walked only a short distance along the road when he noticed something coming from the field on his right Something moved in the field. Khawar’s attention was drawn to it and he stopped. Looking carefully, he saw a man standing in the field, waving his hands.
“Look over there!” Naveed said.
“Yes, I can see him, but I don’t know where he suddenly came from. A moment ago there was no sign of anyone in the field. He is frightening me,” Khawar replied.
“My goodness! You’re talking nonsense. I’m with you. Why are you so scared? Tell me, what is the matter?” Naveed said.
Khawar pointed toward the field and said, “Do you see that man? I think he is calling us.”
Naveed looked carefully in the direction Khawar pointed. Then he shouted loudly:
“Naveed! Naveed! Come here quickly!”
The sound startled Khawar. His whole body trembled with fear. Sweat began pouring from his forehead. It was a hot summer day, and Naveed’s school was closed because of the summer holidays.
“Can you see now?” Naveed asked.
“Yes, I can see him, but I don’t know why my heart is sinking with fear. I don’t want to go any closer,” Khawar replied.
“Come on, let’s go. Don’t be afraid,” said Naveed, and he started walking toward the field.
Although Khawar did not want to go, he followed him. When they reached the field, Naveed saw a strange man standing there. He looked worried and frightened. As they approached, he asked in a trembling voice:
“Are you Naveed?”
“Yes, I am Naveed. What do you want?” Naveed replied.
The man looked around nervously and said:
“A man has been murdered. I have seen it with my own eyes. Some parts of the dead body are still lying in the field. Please inform the police immediately.”
Khawar was shocked and asked:
“Why don’t you inform the police yourself?”
The man replied:
“No. Before the murderer caught me, I ran away. I was hiding nearby, but after that I came here to tell you. You should inform the police.”
After saying this, he quickly disappeared among the tall sugarcane plants. Khawar and Naveed stood there staring in astonishment.
Soon they gathered enough courage and went further into the field. They could hear strange sounds rustling through the sugarcane leaves. Both of them were terrified, but now they knew that they had to find out whether the man had told the truth.
Suddenly they stopped. Not far away they saw something lying on the ground. As they looked closely, they realized that it was indeed a human body.
Khawar’s face turned pale. Even from a distance they could see flies buzzing around the body. Terrified, they moved closer. As they reached the body and looked at it Naveed accompanied Khawar to the police station. The inspector was sitting behind his desk, smoking a cigarette and working on some papers. Seeing them, he looked up and asked, “What is it? Your faces look pale. And why have you both come here together instead of going to school?”
Naveed tried to tell him what had happened, but his throat went dry. Finally Khawar explained everything to the inspector and also told him about the valuable diamond hidden in the victim’s tie.
After listening carefully, the inspector smiled and said:
“My guess is that the murderer was the first person to reach the victim after the killing. He searched the victim’s pockets but found nothing. Then he buried the body in the ground to avoid suspicion. But after killing him he became worried. The victim’s body could not remain hidden forever. Eventually it would be discovered, the police would arrive, and then there would be a lot of investigation. At that point it would become known who the victim was, where he lived, and what business he was involved in.”
Khawar interrupted and asked, “Then why don’t we inform the police station right now and get those people arrested?”
The inspector replied, “Arresting a murderer is not so easy. A murder has been committed, but no one knows who the victim is. It is necessary to identify him. Along with that, we must keep an eye on Naveed’s colony. If the murderer comes there again, we will be able to catch him.”
In the meantime, a servant entered and informed them that a man had come to meet the inspector. The inspector told him to send the visitor in.
A short while later, a stout man entered. He was about forty years old, with a fair complexion. His eyes reflected anxiety and confusion.
The inspector greeted him and asked, “Yes, Mr. Sheikh, what brings you here?”
The man looked around nervously and said, “I am very worried. My son did not return home from school today. I have searched everywhere but haven’t found him.”
The inspector looked concerned. There was a pause. Then he asked, “When did he disappear?”
The man replied, “After leaving school. He never came home. I have searched everywhere.”
The inspector’s mind began working rapidly. He looked at Naveed and Khawar and said, “It seems the matter is becoming more serious.” the murderer will definitely come back there,” said the police officer.
“No, sir,” Naveed replied. “We shouldn’t just sit and wait for the police to catch him. We should investigate on our own too. It may be possible that the murderer has already left the city. We are carrying out our own investigation. Yes, by the way, the gentleman who came to see you today—Mr. Sheikh—what did he tell you about his son?”
The inspector thought for a moment and then said:
“I think there is definitely some connection between the victim and his son.”
Khawar asked anxiously:
“Do you really think so? Then shouldn’t we search Mr. Sheikh’s house too?”
“There is no need for that at the moment,” replied the inspector. “The boy himself will return home in a few days. I don’t think there is any reason to worry.”
Just then a servant entered and informed them that Naveed’s father had arrived. The inspector asked that he be sent in.
As soon as he entered, he asked:
“What have you boys been up to? You disappeared from school today. Where were you?”
Naveed remained silent. His father looked at both boys. Their expressions showed that something serious had happened. He became worried and asked:
“Tell me, what happened?”
Naveed answered:
“Father, do you remember the abandoned house near the canal? The one beside which a well is located?”
“Yes,” his father replied.
“When we passed by there today, the house was locked. But there was a strange man standing near the well. He seemed very frightened. As soon as he saw us, he quickly left. We became suspicious and followed him.”
After that, Naveed and Khawar described everything they had seen in detail. They told him about the abandoned house, the mysterious man, and the bloodstains they had discovered.
The bloodstains had been hidden beneath dry leaves, but Naveed had noticed them. Someone had apparently tried to cover the blood and erase the traces.
After hearing the whole story, Naveed’s father asked:
“So you think the victim’s body might still be somewhere there?”
“Yes,” Naveed replied. “It is possible that no one has found it yet. The murderer may have buried it in the ground or hidden it somewhere else. But we are certain that a crime has taken place there.”
The three of them walked toward the eastern side of the colony. Naveed’s father, Naveed, and Khalid searched the area carefully.
Suddenly Khawar, who was walking a little ahead, stopped and shouted:
“Naveed! Come here quickly! There is something fresh here!”
Naveed ran toward him. As he reached the spot, he saw fresh soil on the ground.
His father also came over. The three of them examined the patch of earth closely.
In a trembling voice, Naveed’s father said:
“There is definitely something buried here. The murderer must have hidden the victim’s body beneath this ground…”
“…or perhaps the body isn’t buried here at all. We are only guessing.”
As he spoke, Khawar pointed toward a spot and said:
“But look, there are footprints here!”
Everyone bent down and examined them carefully. Naveed and Khawar began scraping away the loose soil with their hands. The ground was soft, and after digging for a while they found something beneath it.
They became even more excited. Just then Naveed’s father shouted:
“Children! Why are you digging here?”
Naveed’s father answered dryly:
“There is a clue buried here.”
The inspector’s face changed color. Looking surprised, he said:
“Who told you there was a clue here? Tell me the truth.”
Ignoring the question, Naveed’s father resumed digging and said:
“It will become clear soon.”
He continued digging with his hands. After a short while, they uncovered a large plastic bag buried beneath the soil. Seeing the boys’ courage and determination, the inspector was astonished.
Then he called out to Naveed’s father:
“Mr. Sheikh! What on earth are you doing? Have you gone mad? You have dug up a plastic bag. What if it contains nothing?”
“It is called intuition,” replied Naveed’s father. “I am certain there is something important inside it.”
After much effort they pulled the bag out of the ground and opened it. As soon as it was opened, a foul smell spread through the air.
Everyone covered their noses.
Inside the bag were some old clothes, a wallet, and several other items. Naveed picked up the wallet and opened it.
The inspector quickly took it from him and examined it himself.
Suddenly he exclaimed:
“I understand now! When the murderer buried the body, he must have hidden this bag separately. Later he intended to come back and remove it, but before he could do so, all of you arrived in the colony.”
Mr. Sheikh snatched the wallet from the inspector’s hand. He opened it and looked inside.
His face turned pale.
Then, in a trembling voice, he said:
“This wallet belongs to my son, Khawar.”
Everyone was stunned.
Mr. Sheikh looked as though he might collapse at any moment. Tears filled his eyes.
In a broken voice he continued:
“Khawar used to keep this wallet with him all the time. I gave it to him on his last birthday. There is no doubt about it—it belongs to my son.”
His condition became very poor. Naveed felt deep sympathy for him.
At that moment, a memory flashed through Naveed’s mind.
He said:
“Wait! I remember something. A few days ago I saw a man near the canal. He was carrying a black briefcase and seemed very nervous. At the time I didn’t pay much attention to him, but now I think that man may be connected to all of this.”
The inspector looked at him sharply and asked:
“Can you recognize him if you see him again?”
“Yes,” Naveed replied. “I think I can.”
The inspector nodded slowly.
“Then our next task is clear. We must find that man.”