fiction

Mystery, crime, murder, unsolved cases. Contribute your own tales of crime to Criminal.

The Shadow of Peshawar
M Mehran In the narrow alleys of Peshawar, the city breathed in whispers. Everyone had a story, but few dared to tell the truth. Among them, one name carried fear like a shadow: Zahid Khan, a man whose reputation straddled the line between legend and nightmare. Zahid wasn’t born a criminal. Once, he had a small shop selling trinkets near Qissa Khwani Bazaar. But fate, as cruel as it often is, left him destitute when a fire destroyed his shop. The insurance never paid, and the banks refused mercy. It was hunger and desperation that first pushed him to steal a loaf of bread. That act was the spark; what followed was fire. Years passed, and Zahid transformed into the city’s most notorious figure. The police knew him by sight, traders by rumor, and even children whispered his name in fear. But what made Zahid dangerous wasn’t his skill with a gun or his network of thieves—it was his mind. He planned, calculated, and executed with precision. Every move was a chess piece; every step, a story in itself. One humid evening, Zahid walked into the dimly lit tea shop near Chowk Yadgar. His sharp eyes scanned the room. In the corner, a young man with nervous hands was counting notes too quickly. Zahid recognized him immediately—Arman, a small-time pickpocket trying to step into the bigger league. “Careful,” Zahid murmured, his voice low, almost a warning. Arman froze, his heart pounding in rhythm with the old ceiling fan’s creak. Zahid smiled faintly, the kind of smile that could cut deeper than a knife. “You want to survive here, you follow rules. And the first rule… never bite more than you can chew.” Arman nodded, swallowing his pride and fear. Zahid’s reputation was legendary, but few knew the man behind the shadow. Beneath the hardened exterior, Zahid had principles—a strange code that governed his criminal empire. He never harmed the innocent, never cheated those who trusted him, and always kept his word. It was a paradox that kept the authorities guessing: a criminal, yet oddly honorable. That night, a message arrived on Zahid’s old, cracked phone. “The consignment is delayed. Need plan B.” His brow furrowed. This wasn’t unusual. The city’s underworld was unpredictable, but something about this delay felt different. He gathered his trusted men in the warehouse near the outskirts of the city, the smell of diesel and rust thick in the air. “Listen,” Zahid said, his voice cutting through the tension. “This isn’t just about money anymore. Someone is trying to play us. We move tonight, or we risk losing everything.” His men nodded, their faces tight with resolve. They trusted him, feared him, and followed him without question. The night fell heavy, the streets of Peshawar nearly deserted, except for the occasional stray dog scavenging for leftovers. Zahid’s team moved silently, shadows among shadows, to the location where the consignment was supposed to arrive. A single streetlamp flickered above, painting the scene in intermittent light. Then, the ambush. Men masked and armed blocked the alley, their weapons glinting under the weak light. Zahid’s instincts kicked in. Years of surviving the streets, escaping police raids, and dodging betrayals sharpened his senses. He gave a quick signal, and his men split strategically. Chaos erupted—gunfire, shouts, and the metallic echo of fear. Zahid ducked behind a rusted cart, watching carefully. He noticed the leader of the ambushers, a man with a scar across his cheek, shouting orders. Zahid’s lips curled into a small grin. He had been expecting this. With a precision only he could manage, he launched a counterattack. Within minutes, the attackers were either subdued or fleeing, leaving behind empty crates and confusion. By the time dawn painted the city in hues of orange and gold, Zahid was already gone. The alley was silent again, save for the faint clatter of broken crates. News would spread quickly: the city’s shadow had struck again. But Zahid? He vanished into the maze of the city, leaving only whispers behind. Some said Zahid Khan was unstoppable. Others claimed he was a myth, a story told to keep children from wandering too far. But those who had crossed him, or worse, trusted him, knew the truth: Zahid was more than a criminal. He was the shadow of Peshawar—relentless, calculating, and unforgettable. And as the city woke to its usual chaos, Zahid walked the streets in plain sight, a ghost among the living, already planning his next move.
By Muhammad Mehranabout a year ago in Criminal
Eyes of Deception
The city of Aramor never slept. Neon lights flickered across rain-soaked streets, shadows stretched thin against brick walls, and voices carried secrets that never belonged to them. For most, it was simply a restless place. For Aric Veyra, it was a chessboard where every piece could kill. Aric was a spy, though the word sounded cleaner than reality. His life was a carefully constructed lie, each identity layered over the last until even he forgot which one was real. Tonight, his cover placed him as a mid-level broker in the East Docks district. His mission was to infiltrate a powerful syndicate, gather intelligence on their network, and disappear without a trace. But nothing in Aramor was ever that simple. From the start, things felt wrong. The fruit vendor he passed each night never blinked when the rain ran down his stall. The café waitress had a gaze too sharp, as if cataloguing every move. Even supposed allies spoke in riddles, offering just enough truth to keep him tethered and just enough lies to lead him astray. In this world, loyalty was an illusion. The only rule was survival. Aric played his role with precision—exchanging coded phrases in smoke-filled rooms, slipping microchips into hidden pockets, smiling at men who would slit his throat if they knew who he really was. Yet the deeper he moved into the syndicate’s web, the more tangled it became. Misinformation spread like wildfire, and his own handlers back at headquarters began feeding him instructions that contradicted one another. Was someone setting him up? The answer arrived in the form of Selene. She appeared at a clandestine meeting in a dimly lit bar, her presence disarming yet impossible to ignore. Dressed in black with eyes that gleamed like sharpened steel, she carried herself with a confidence that suggested she knew more than she ever said. Aric caught her watching him with an intensity that felt like recognition. Later, when their paths crossed again in the alley behind the bar, she spoke first. “You don’t belong here,” she said softly, her voice low enough to be stolen by the rain. Neither did she. Aric knew better than to trust anyone, but something in her tone carried a dangerous sincerity. Selene began appearing at the edges of his assignments—sometimes as an informant, sometimes as a savior when bullets flew. And always, she left behind the same whisper: Trust me. But Aric had learned the cruelest lesson of espionage—trust was a blade disguised as a hand, and it cut deepest when willingly grasped. Still, he let her closer. Against every instinct, he allowed her words to anchor him in the chaos. The final test came when Aric uncovered a file hidden within the syndicate’s archives. It wasn’t just intelligence—it was proof. Proof that someone inside his own agency had been feeding information to the syndicate. Proof that this entire mission had been designed not to dismantle enemies, but to expose him as expendable. Selene was there when he found it. “They’ll kill you for knowing that,” she said, her expression unreadable. “Unless I kill them first,” he replied. But her silence told him more than words ever could. She already knew. Perhaps she had known all along. The next night, they stood in a warehouse thick with shadows, surrounded by men who pretended to be allies but had already drawn invisible lines in the sand. Aric realized then that the game was not about syndicates or agencies. It was about survival. His survival. Selene’s eyes met his across the room. “Choose wisely,” she murmured. The firefight erupted. Betrayals unfolded with each gunshot, identities revealed in the flash of muzzle fire. Aric moved like a ghost, every step fueled by instinct and desperation. By the time silence fell, only he and Selene remained standing. She stepped closer, the file clenched in her hand. “Now you know the truth,” she said. “The question is—what will you do with it?” Aric studied her face, searching for cracks in her mask. But there were none. She was deception embodied, as much a spy as he was, and perhaps more dangerous because of it. He wanted to ask if her kindness had ever been real. If the touches, the whispers, the moments of fragile humanity between them were genuine—or just another part of the game. But in the end, he didn’t ask. Because he knew the answer didn’t matter. In the world they lived in, deception wasn’t a mask you wore. It was the face beneath. And as Aric walked into the night, the file hidden inside his jacket and Selene’s eyes burning in his memory, he realized the cruelest truth of all: The eyes of deception weren’t only around him. They stared back at him every time he looked in the mirror.
By LUNA EDITHabout a year ago in Criminal
The Midnight Intruder: How Abdul Samad Outsmarted a Thief
The Midnight Intruder and Abdul Samad’s Sixth Sense BY:Ubaid Rabia Farooq, from Dera Ismail Khan, loved detective novels. But the real hero of this tale is young Abdul Samad, a boy who not only read such stories with passion but also possessed an unusually sharp sixth sense of his own. He lived with his father and grandmother in a modest home, where life was simple but not without challenges. One chilly winter afternoon, Abdul Samad’s father went to the bank to withdraw fifty thousand rupees for his mother’s medical treatment. The family needed this money urgently to pay hospital expenses. As fate would have it, a sharp-eyed criminal lurking nearby noticed him collecting the cash. He decided to follow Abdul Samad’s father discreetly through the bustling marketplace. The crowd gave the thief cover, and by the time father and son reached home, the man already had a sinister plan forming in his mind. Inside the house, Abdul Samad’s father carefully placed the bundle of notes into his wooden wardrobe, locked it, and slid the key under his pillow. He hoped this hiding spot would keep the money safe until the next day. But little did he know, someone outside was watching and waiting for the right moment. That night, when everyone had retired to bed, the stillness of the house was suddenly interrupted. At around midnight, the doorbell rang sharply. Abdul Samad’s father, startled and cautious, got up and approached the door. “Who is it?” he called out. A man’s voice replied, soft and pitiful: “Brother, I am a poor laborer. I wash dishes at a hotel and am returning home after work. The night is freezing cold, and I cannot bear it anymore. For God’s sake, please lend me a sweater or an old blanket. Otherwise, I fear I may collapse before reaching home.” From her bed, the grandmother muttered anxiously: “We don’t know who this is. Just send him away!” But the stranger spoke again, his tone full of despair: “Please, I beg of you. My home is far outside the city. I am shivering with fever and cannot go on like this. A simple old shawl would be enough to help me reach safely.” Hearing these words, Abdul Samad’s father’s heart softened. He thought of the man’s misery and decided to help. He grabbed a thick woolen sweater from inside and, without fully opening the door, pushed it forward through a narrow gap. That was all the thief needed. With a sudden violent shove, he forced the door wide open and stormed into the house. A sharp knife glistened in his hand as he pressed it against the father’s neck. “Hand over all the money immediately,” the intruder hissed, “or I will end your life right here!” Terrified but determined to protect his family, the father led the thief to the wardrobe. Unlocking it, he opened the doors—only to find the shelves completely empty. The fifty thousand rupees had vanished. Abdul Samad, who had been awake in his bed, quickly intervened. With calmness beyond his years, he spoke: “Abu, don’t worry. Uncle Naeem came earlier tonight. You know his daughter’s wedding preparations are going on, and he was in desperate need of money. He asked for help, so I gave him all the fifty thousand rupees. I’m sorry, I didn’t wait for your permission.” His father turned to him in shock. “But, my son… no neighbor has come here today!” he said in disbelief. Before he could continue, Abdul Samad interrupted again firmly: “Yes, Abu, he came about an hour ago. I gave him the money myself. It’s gone already.” Hearing this, the thief grew restless and frustrated. He searched the wardrobe, the drawers, and then the entire house in anger. But there was nothing valuable to be found. At last, in desperation, he barked at the father: “Then give me whatever cash you have in your pocket!” Reluctantly, the father handed over his wallet, which contained only about four hundred and fifty rupees. Furious and disappointed, the thief stormed out into the night, vanishing as suddenly as he had appeared. Only when the door slammed shut did Abdul Samad’s father look at his son in wonder. How had the money disappeared from the wardrobe without his knowledge? The answer revealed itself soon enough. The boy’s famous sixth sense had saved them. The moment he heard the midnight knock, his instincts told him that danger was at the door. Moving swiftly, he had unlocked the wardrobe, taken out the bundle of fifty thousand rupees, placed it into a plain envelope, and hidden it deep inside the refrigerator’s vegetable compartment—under layers of onions, carrots, and green chilies. It was a simple yet brilliant idea. No intruder would ever think to search among vegetables for a bundle of cash. And indeed, the thief had left empty-handed, save for a few hundred rupees. In the end, Abdul Samad’s quick thinking and calm bravery preserved the money that was meant for his grandmother’s treatment. His father and grandmother could not stop praising him for his intelligence and courage. That night, Abdul Samad realized that sometimes life presents challenges just like the mystery novels he so loved to read. But unlike the stories in books, this was real—and his sharp mind had turned fiction into reality. The lesson was clear: vigilance, presence of mind, and a little bit of courage can protect not just wealth, but life itself. And Abdul Samad, the young detective at heart, had proven that even in the darkest hours, cleverness can light the way.
By Ubaid about a year ago in Criminal
The Cage of Conscience
The Cage of Conscience BY:Khan It was one o’clock at night, and Majid Ahmed was awake. Sleep had abandoned him as if it had severed all ties. His life was drenched in despair. He was alive, yet not truly living—his body merely existing, his breath continuing mechanically. He sat in a prison cell, surrounded by walls filled with horror. The fear of loneliness gnawed at him from every corner. Helpless, he could not leave the confines of the cell, and no one came to see him. Ever since he had been imprisoned, the world outside had become alien to him. Friends and relatives had grown distant, and the colors of life had faded. He had become a portrait of hopelessness, lost in conversations with himself, asking questions only he could hear, seeking answers that seemed forever beyond reach. He didn’t understand why he had been sentenced to this cell. Why had fate brought him here? His name was Kamran, and now he was a prisoner accused of murder. A few days prior, I had met him. I am the jailer here, and my days are filled with such stories. It was an ordinary morning when I reported for duty. Outside the prison walls, the sky was a clear blue, birds sang sweet, melodious songs, and the world seemed awake. Life flourished beyond the walls, yet within, despair and sadness reigned. Here, every morning felt like autumn, and every night was soaked in fear. Pale faces, sleepless eyes, and exhausted bodies filled the cells. Amidst this sorrow, I alone arrived each morning, refreshed and full of energy, serving my duty. Ten years had passed since I started this job. Every person who comes here is treated as a criminal, whether guilty or innocent. Some are punished for crimes they never committed. This injustice always puzzled me, until the truth about Kamran revealed itself. Kamran had come from a wealthy family, the pride of his household. Riches surrounded him, yet life is unpredictable. Some are born with silver spoons, others face misfortune from the start. Kamran had lost his mother to cancer at sixteen, and his father had raised him with indulgence. Servants attended to every need, and Kamran grew accustomed to luxury. He developed a passion for raising native fighting chickens. He created a farm on his estate, training the birds meticulously with special feeds like almonds, butter, and walnuts soaked in ghee. Birds were trained for competitions where they were sold for thousands. But life’s highs come with lows, and Kamran faced his downfall unexpectedly. One winter, wild cats attacked his farm. Several chickens were killed. Kamran, enraged, punished the caretakers and fired them. The next night, he personally guarded the farm with his gun. When cats attacked again, he shot them, killing two and letting one escape. Two more chickens died in the attack. Kamran felt justified, believing he had protected his property. A year later, Kamran left a hotel after dining, unaware that a murder had occurred on the upper floor. He was arrested along with the hotel owner and others, though he had nothing to do with the crime. While others secured bail, Kamran remained imprisoned. For two years, he sat in his cell, staring at the walls, questioning himself, seeking redemption. One day, an elderly, pious man arrived and secured his release on bail. Investigations revealed the murdered woman had been heavily intoxicated, and Kamran’s innocence was proven. The jail had changed him. He realized that the punishment he endured was not for the murder he was accused of, but for the killing of the cats—a test of conscience. Kamran understood that God places a conscience within every human heart, guiding one to distinguish right from wrong. He repented sincerely, offering prayers and sending blessings upon the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Through his genuine repentance, God granted him freedom. He reentered the world, living in accordance with divine guidance, aware of the weight of his actions. His story serves as a reminder: we may unknowingly commit sins for which we face consequences. Repentance is always available. Turn to God sincerely, seek forgiveness, and improve your life in this world and the hereafter. Kamran’s journey from indulgence, through crime and injustice, to redemption, is a testament to the power of conscience and the mercy of God. His story reminds us that while fate may bring suffering, it is our acknowledgment of wrong and sincere repentance that opens the doors to freedom and a life guided by truth and justice.
By Khan about a year ago in Criminal
TikTok Under Fire
Why the World’s Most Popular App is Also One of the Most Dangerous TikTok is the social media phenomenon of our time. With over a billion users worldwide, the app has transformed how young people consume content, express themselves, and even influence politics. Its short videos can launch careers, make songs go viral, and shape global culture in real time.
By Wings of Time about a year ago in Criminal
Girl Stabbed to Death on North Carolina Train: What We Know So Far
The Incident On a routine NC train ride through Charlotte, tragedy struck when Iryna Zarutska, a Ukrainian refugee, was fatally stabbed. Witnesses reported chaos on board as passengers attempted to intervene and authorities rushed to respond.
By KAMRAN AHMADabout a year ago in Criminal
From Defense to War: What a U.S. “Ministry of War” Would Mean
What if the United States government announced tomorrow that it was renaming the Department of Defense to the Ministry of War? At first glance, it might seem like nothing more than a change in language. But in politics, language is never just language—it shapes perception, frames policy, and influences how nations see themselves and one another. A shift in terminology from “defense” to “war” would represent a dramatic transformation in America’s identity and global posture.
By Muhammad Ibrahimabout a year ago in Criminal
XV . Content Warning.
TW: Murder "Knock, knock, knock" is all she heard. Shiloh was sitting in her living room, watching a scary movie around 8pm when she heard the knocking. Shiloh was only 16 but knew better than to answer the door when her parents weren't home. She only had on a small lamp in the whole house so she immediately paused the TV and shut out the light. "I know you're in there" an eery voice whispered. Shiloh shuddered. This didn't seem right. It was the Eve of Halloween so she assumed it was probably just a neighborhood kid pulling a prank. She still didn't dare answer the door. She did grab her phone, turn it on silent and texted her mom "someone is at the door. Can you look at camera?" Moments later her mom texted "I don't see anyone. Maybe you're hearing things? Watching scary movies again?" Her mother would soon regret not trusting her only daughter.
By Sara Caramellaabout a year ago in Criminal
I Went on the Dark Web and Instantly Regretted It
“This is the story I swore I’d never tell—but the guilt of staying silent is heavier than the fear of admitting it: I went on the dark web, and I wish I never had.”
By Zakir Ullahabout a year ago in Criminal
🌍 World War 3: The Sparks That Could Ignite a Global Firestorm
The Sparks That Could Ignite a Global Firestorm Introduction: A World on Edge The world has always lived under the shadow of war, but today the fear of World War 3 feels more real than ever before. From Europe to Asia, the Middle East to South America, conflicts are spreading at an alarming pace. Military buildups, border clashes, cyberattacks, and economic sanctions are becoming the new normal.
By Wings of Time about a year ago in Criminal
"The Assassination of Prime Minister Yamin: A Turning Point in Middle Eastern Turmoil"
"The Assassination of Prime Minister Yamin: A Turning Point in Middle Eastern Turmoil" On a tense evening in the capital city of Yamin, history changed forever. Prime Minister Yamin, a man who rose from the struggles of refugee camps to the highest office in his nation, was assassinated in what intelligence officials have described as a “precision strike” orchestrated by Israel. The event, shocking in its boldness, has sent shockwaves across the Middle East and the wider world, igniting debates, protests, and fears of a wider conflict.
By Wings of Time about a year ago in Criminal
The Guardian of the Forest. AI-Generated.
When silence falls, nature whispers its greatest truths. The valley was a world of its own. Wrapped in emerald mountains and veiled with silver mist, it was a place where time slowed, where every rustle of leaves carried meaning. Here, the forest pulsed with a quiet rhythm—birds rising with dawn, rivers whispering to stones, insects composing symphonies after rain. To outsiders, it might have been just another stretch of wilderness, but to those who lived within, it was a sacred sanctuary.
By Abuzar about a year ago in Criminal