Which one friend ?

It was a quiet afternoon when there was a soft knock at the door. Zakariya, who was in the courtyard of his house, immediately noticed it. The rest of his family members were inside. The gentle knock suggested that the visitor did not want anyone to know of their arrival.

Zakariya quietly walked to the door and opened it. Standing there was Zabl’s father. He gestured for Zakariya to wait outside for a moment, then came in and entered the drawing room. Speaking in a low voice, he said, “Assalamu Alaikum, my son Zakariya.”

“Wa Alaikum Assalam wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh, Uncle! I was waiting for you. I received your message on my mobile,” Zakariya replied politely.

“Thank you! You know, my son, Zabl shares a very close friendship with your elder brothers, right?” Zabl’s father asked.

“Exactly, that’s why I came so quietly. If Zabl knew I was here, everything would be ruined,” he explained.

“Don’t worry, Uncle,” Zakariya reassured him. “No one will come into this room. I usually sit here at night to study. The others will be in front of the TV. Nobody will even think to enter here.”

“Alright, still make sure to lock both the inner and outer doors. After I talk to you, I will leave the same way I came.”

Zakariya nodded and secured both doors. “Now, please tell me… what’s the matter?”

“The issue is Zabl. I don’t know what has gotten into him. He’s changing day by day. The more we try to guide him, the more rebellious he becomes,” Zabl’s father said, pausing briefly.

Zakariya listened quietly, deep in thought. “Uncle, what exactly are you referring to?” he asked.

“His behavior toward his mother has worsened. As soon as she tries to advise him, he reacts angrily. It feels like he might even harm her. That’s why I came to you, as his friend… haven’t you noticed any changes in him?

Zakariya remained silent, thinking carefully.

“Son, why aren’t you responding?” his uncle asked.

“Well, Uncle, we were aware of it earlier, but we stayed silent so you wouldn’t worry. My elder brother even strictly told me not to inform you,” Zakariya explained.

“Hmm… but that’s not right,” the father said with mild disappointment.

“You can say that, Uncle. But we thought it was better to try correcting Zabl ourselves so it wouldn’t worry you. We didn’t know his behavior would worsen at home. However, we have now figured out who is influencing him negatively. Unfortunately, we cannot confront him directly yet—we need to act wisely, or things could get worse.”

“What do you mean? What are you suggesting?” Zabl’s father asked.

“The matter has gotten out of our hands. Even Zabl isn’t listening to us now. We need to find out who is corrupting him,” Zakariya said.

“Oh, I thought we could correct him with your help. But it seems the situation is far worse. What will we do now?”

“We three have been planning. Don’t worry on behalf of my elder brothers; everything is now known to them as well. In a day or two, we will be able to tell you exactly who is responsible for his misbehavior,” Zakariya assured him.

“Oh… alright,” his uncle replied, leaving soon after.

Zakariya then informed his brothers about the visit. “Yes, I was about to tell you. I’ve discovered the young man who is corrupting Zabl. He’s a reckless boy, even involved with drugs. Our Zabl fell into his trap. We couldn’t intervene directly because this boy has powerful connections, which could have worsened the situation. That’s why…”

“Why, brother?” Zakariya asked, curious.

“I’ve arranged a plan that is safe yet effective. Like killing a snake without breaking the stick,” his elder brother said mysteriously.

“What do you mean?” Zakariya asked, startled.

“I’ll tell you in a few days,” his brother replied

A few days later, Zakariya’s elder brother explained, “The Zabl matter is resolved. You can now inform his father. Inshallah, Zabl will soon return to his normal self.”

“How, brother? What did you do?” Zakariya asked.

“I have a friend in the CID. I handed the matter over to them. That reckless boy and his associates were dealt with carefully. We don’t need to know the details—it’s their job. You just meet Zabl’s father in a few days and see what he says.”

When Zakariya met Zabl’s father later, he found him extremely happy. He embraced Zakariya warmly and repeatedly thanked him for his help.