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*

Rohaan

I did it. I Googled Zohaib Waleed.

At first I didn't find anything but Facebook profile suggestions, or random twentysomethings on LinkedIn. But my detective determination didn't let me stop. I continued my research. Then, to narrow out the results, I clicked on the news tab, hoping it would give me the results that I wanted.

Finally, I got something. The main article was about some woman named Patricia Campbell, but the paragraph underneath had the words 'Zohaib Waleed' highlighted. I clicked on it.

Patricia 'Trisha' Campbell, some distant relative of an MP (at that time), had been arrested for the kidnapping of... "Mama?!" I quickly skimmed through the article. She'd had Anabia Rehan kidnapped when Zohaib Waleed had died without failing to pay the debt that he owed her. Trisha had also been an alleged 'lover' of Zohaib Waleed, as per the article. 

"The man took so much from me in his attempt to, I suppose, avenge his families. His ex-wife, his second wife, and his kids. I wanted my repayment." Patricia Campbell made her statement in court. "The coward died, but he left his debt on his kids."

The article then mentioned who Anabia Rehan had been reunited with her family, including her newborn twins who had been hospitalised during this separation from their mother. Joanne Bentley, the Secretary of State stepped in when she was informed that the police had disregarded key evidence based on the fact that Ms Campbell was related to an MP. Apparently, Mama had somehow managed to send a note for help, which was ignored by the police. A police investigation was swiftly launched in regards to corruption within the police department. It then went onto mention that the woman who had been kidnapped was the daughter-in-law of renowned journalist Nina Tariq and Tariq Hafeez, the editor of one of the biggest newspapers in the UK, as well as being the wife of Rehan Tariq, a NYT bestselling author.

"I can't even imagine that our sweet Nano married someone like that devil." I muttered.

The man's lucky that he never met me. I'd have taught him a lesson or five about messing with my family. 

I got up and strode out of the room. Yamna was currently with Mama and Chachi having tea downstairs. Saim Mamu and Kamran Nana had gone to Nano's grave. I headed to my parents' room and knocked on the door.

Papa opened the door. "Rohaan?" 

"I want to know about Zohaib Waleed."

He sighed, closing his eyes. "Rohaan, we don't talk..."

"...Bad about the dead. I know. So state facts instead." I shrugged. "Tell me what happened, as it happened."

"Rohaan, he's gone. Let it be." He said, firmly.

"Mama got kidnapped because of him." I blurted out. "I know." 

He didn't speak for a few moments, before stepping aside to let me in. I stepped inside and he closed the door. "Rohaan, what did Hashir tell you about Zohaib?" 

"I wish that Zohaib Waleed had choked the life out of your mother, so that your entitled a** wouldn't have ever existed." Hashir had said.

"He implied that Zohaib Waleed hadn't been a good father, basically." 

"That would be an understatement." He said, sitting down on the bed.

I took a seat on the chair by the desk. 

"He left your Nano when your mother and Mamu were just young kids." He said, but the tone in which he said it clearly implied something.

"He cheated on her." I stated.

Papa didn't confirm or deny it. "He had a second wife, and two more daughters. Initially, he was fine. He and your Nano seemed to have a...cordial relationship, despite the past, even though he still prioritise his other daughters over Anabia."

"But he was fine with Saim Mamu because he was his only son?" I heard the bitterness in my own tone.

"Presumably, yes." He continued narrating the story, including Mama's almost marriage to a psychopath named Adam Shahid. Initially, Zohaib Waleed had supported Mama when she had told him that she was more interested in marrying Papa instead. But then there it was uncovered that Zohaib Waleed had accepted a large sum of money to get Mama married to Adam. Things went sour from there. All in all, my maternal biological grandfather became a horribly nasty man. "Rohaan, there are parts of the story that I can't tell you. This is all that you need to know."

"I can feel Mama's pain at losing Nano much more now, and Saim Mamu's." 

He nodded, grimly. "Let's not discuss this in front of Anabia now, please." 

"My biological maternal grandfather was a psychopath." I scoffed. "Seriously, I want to know what other strange secrets are hidden in our ancestral history."

"Know that your Nano was a brilliant, strong, and an incredibly brave woman, who found her second chance in live with a good man, Kamran sahab." I began to say something sarcastic, but he raised his hand to stop me, knowing his aulaad very well. "No. Do not judge him for what Hashir has become. I have known him for decades before you were even born. And your Nano has been incredibly happy with him, as testified by Anabia herself. He's a good man, and sometimes the offspring of even good people can go astray."

I couldn't deny him that. We had actually learnt this in school, that what a person becomes isn't just due to the upbringing. The environment that they live in, or the company that they keep can play a huge role in what a person becomes. I'd done craploads of s**t in my teenage years. It didn't mean that my parents were bad parents. I just had horrid friends. And I had to be honest; I never got negative vibes from Kamran Nana. I'd become better at reading people since I became a detective, and not once did I get negativity from him. Hashir, though, was someone that I'd always felt sceptical about. And he had proved me right.

*

Tahira

I walked through the downstairs portion of our family home, a small smile on my face.

I'd always wanted a loving home, a loving family. When I first joined university, before I'd met Aslan, I used to envy the first year students who came to university on their first day with their parents and/or siblings. Some students cringed in embarrassment, while others openly embraced their parents or loved ones. 

On one such day was when I'd caught my first glimpse of Arsalan. He had looked embarrassed as his mother fondly pinched his cheeks. His whole family had been there: his parents, brother and sisters. The scene had made me smile, but I'd walked away shortly after that. 

"Hira!" 

I headed to the front hall. "Assalam Alaikum!" 

"Walaikum Assalam!" Aslan had just entered, and he held a bag from the local fish & chips shop. "Look what I got for late lunch!"

"Oh, Aslan, you just know the way to a girl's heart!" I smiled, giving him a hug. "Get freshened up and..." 

The doorbell rang.

"Expecting someone?" I asked. "Hoor Appi or Haya Appi?" 

He frowned, shaking his head. "Nope, they normally don't come around on school nights." He headed to the door to open it.

"Be careful, Aslan!"

He opened the door and two men in police uniforms stood there. "Yes?" 

"We're from the police. A burglar gained access to your backyard from the back. May we enter the house and head into your back garden?" One of them replied, the taller one with blonde hair.

"May we see some ID please?" I asked before Aslan could say anything.

"Madam, you two are just interfering in our work now..."

"ID." I repeated. Something didn't feel right. 

The shorter one began to step forward but Aslan slammed the door shut and locked it quickly. "Real police officer would show their ID without hesitation." He began to dial a number. 

"Who are you calling?" 

"Ahmed." He paused. "Hello? Ahmed? Assalam Alaikum. This is Arsalan, Rohaan's younger brother. Listen, two men wearing police uniform came to our door..." He headed into the living room.

I stared wide-eyed at the closed front door. They literally could be right behind it, wielding guns and other weapons. I rushed into the living room after Aslan.

"No, no... we closed the door." He was still on the phone. "Okay, okay. Thank you so much, Ahmed.  Don't worry. We'll be careful." He hung up and turned to me. "He's contacting our area police, and they'll come around." 

I swallowed hard. "Could it be someone with a grudge against Rohaan Bhai?" 

"Potentially." He sat down on the sofa, the big of fish & chips now placed on the coffee table. 

I sat down beside him. "Aslan, are we safe here?" 

"Of course we are! As long as the doors and windows are locked, don't worry." 

"No, I mean..." I paused. "Eventually, we'll be having our own family, In Sha Allah. Don't you think it'd be better for us to move to our own place?" 

He looked at me, stunned. "Hira, it's safer for us all to live together." 

"What if we're constantly targeted? How are we supposed to raise a family in such an environment?" I may come off as selfish at times, but the thoughts that sometimes people choose to keep in their heads, I tended to voice out, especially to Aslan. I couldn't help it. It was who I was, and he was the one I trusted completely.

"Rohaan will ensure that we're all safe. I know my brother very well." 

"But he's not always around! Take today as an example." 

"Hira." He wrapped an arm around me. "For us, the lives of every single person in this family is important. It's simply not the matter of us leaving to protect ourselves. We're talking about my brother, my Bhabi and their future family, In Sha Allah. How can I even think of leaving when the ones I leave behind in danger are also my loved ones?" 

"His job put him in this position, Aslan. He chose this. We didn't." I blurted out.

He looked taken aback, but he composed himself quickly. "Family members protect each other. Just trust that, Hira. Trust me. Just give this a chance." 

I nodded, even though I felt a little scared.

*

Yamna

"Have you noticed something?" I asked. 

"What?" Rohaan briefly glanced at me as he drove me to a restaurant for dinner.

"The initials of your family. Two 'R's, two 'A's and two 'H's." I said, thoughtfully. "Well planned, or coincidence?" 

"Hoor and Behaya's names were Mama's choice. My name and Arsal's names were decided as per the initials of our parents. That's all I know." 

"There's only one Y." I smiled.

"Maybe our kid's name can begin with the letter 'Y'?" He smiled back at me.

I turned away, cheeks burning. "Too early."

Fortunately, his phone rang, distracting me. He answered it over the speaker, connected via Bluetooth. "Tell me, Ahmed. Missing me at work? And don't swear. The phone is on speaker, and the missus is with me." 

"I'm banking all the replies for when you return, Mr Rohaan Rehan Tariq." Ahmed Bhai's voice was heavy with sarcasm. "Listen, those criminals disguising as cops have targeted your street now, and even your home. Arsalan called." 

Rohaan visibly stiffened. "What?" 

"Don't worry. A few other neighbours had already called the police on them. They haven't been caught, but with all the CCTV camera and doorbell camera footage, they'll surely be caught soon." Ahmed reassured him.

"Are Arsal and Tahira okay?" 

"Yeah, they slammed the door on their faces." Ahmed said. "Don't worry. They're fine." 

"Yaar, keep an eye out on Arsal. He's very naïve sometimes, and a bit careless when it comes to himself." Rohaan's voice significantly softened.

"Don't worry, mate. He knew to call me, didn't he? I'll keep an eye out for him." 

"Why didn't they come when I was around? That would have been awesome. It's like a criminal dressing up all fancy, and excitedly heading out, only to end up at his own execution..." 

"Ro, you are too much, mate. Bhabi, Assalam Alaikum, and great respect for you for tolerating him."

"Walaikum Assalam." I smiled.

After a few moments, Rohaan ended the call, but barely a moment passed when he received another call. My gaze went to the display screen of the car: Boss Woman.

"Mama?" 

"Come back to the hotel immediately, Rohaan." Anabia Mama's firm voice came through. "I can't even believe that your father allowed you to go out despite the situation." 

"Mama, it's fine..." 

"Now, Rohaan. Honey, this isn't a society that you're used to. There's a gang out there who'd possibly want to avenge Hashir's arrest. And you took Yamna out there?" My mother-in-law sounded panicked.

"Fine, don't stress. We'll come back." Rohaan sighed. When the call ended, he turned to me. "Sorry, Yamna, but maybe Boss Woman's right. I wasn't thinking straight. I shouldn't have brought you out here."

I felt a little disappointed as I'd wanted to explore Lahore, but I also understood that it was all about safety first. "That's okay. We can order in at the hotel." 

He became more alert of his surroundings as he drove us back to the hotel. It sent a chill up my spine. Were we really in that much danger?

*

"You and Yamna should go back home." Anabia Mama told Rohaan.

He scoffed. "If you think that I'll leave you guys here alone, with everything going on, you're mistaken." 

"Rohaan..." Tayan began.

"No, Papa. We all go, or I stay as well." Rohaan turned to me. "But I think Yamna should go with Chachi." 

I was surprised. "What? But you said I should stay..." 

"I did, but I was wrong to ask you to do so." He said. "I don't want you to remain here." 

"You're here too. I'm not running away." I whispered.

"Look," Saim Mamu spoke up. "It's best if we all go back right now, including Kamran Uncle. His home has been taken over by the gang anyway, so it's best for him to come back to the UK with us." 

"I can't go back right now." Anabia Mama said, tearfully. "I want to be near Mama for a bit longer..." 

"Ana, listen. Come to my house and stay there for a while if you want. The memories of Mama are also there. You'll also feel closer to her there." Mamu told her, gently. "But it's really not a wise idea to remain here." 

"Salaay sahab is right, Anya." Papa told her. "We'll go. I'm not risking my family's lives." 

Anabia Mama sighed in surrender. "Fine. We'll go." 

*

Amira

I'd never imagined a day when I'd be getting married alone, with no family around me.

But here I was, with a mosque-appointed scholar acting as my wali, saying 'Qabool Hai' for my Nikah with Zaryab Sufiyan.

*A wali (guardian) is required at Nikah to give away the bride. First and foremost, it's the father, and if not the father than the brother or any male relative from the paternal side. If no male relative is available, a kazi can act as a wali, or the Imam of a mosque or a scholar. But having a wali is mandatory.

With the help of Istikhara, I had made this decision on my own. Allah was my true wali, and I would trust Him completely regarding this.

"Mubarak ho, Amira beta." Mrs Sufiyan hugged me warmly. 

*"Congratulations, dear Amira."

I forced a smile on my face, even as tears brimmed in my eyes. "Khair Mubarak, Aunty."

She took my hand and lead me from my flat to Zaryab's. Stepping out of the threshold of my home was rukhsati itself for me, and I pictured Yusuf Bhai placing a hand on my hand, bidding me farewell.

We arrived at the flat, and I suddenly felt beyond nervous. Have I taken the right decision to combat my loneliness?

The door opened and I looked up and saw Zaryab, wearing white shalwar kameez. My eyes widened a little. The kameez was perfectly clung onto his firefighter-built. 

Has he always been this tall? Ma Sha Allah.

His hair was shorter, neatly trimmed, and he smiled warmly at me.

Meanwhile, I wore a long white dress adorned with mirror work, and a matching dupatta. Around my neck was a silver and golden choker, one of the sole pieces of jewellery left behind by my mother. I also wore a necklace with faux pearls and emeralds, given to me by my mother-in-law.

"Assalam Alaikum." I greeted my new husband.

"Walaikum Assalam." He held out his hand.

I slid my hand into his and stepped inside, into my new life.

*

"Tell me more about yourself, Amira." Zaryab said softly, as he sat beside me in bed later that night.

"My brother and I were both born in the US, but Mama was British, so we eventually returned here. Shortly after we returned, Bhai started uni here." I replied.

"You have no family, no relatives here?" 

"Papa had been an only child, and he had nobody. His parents passed away a long time ago. Mama hardly spoke about her family." I shrugged. "She used to say that she had a difficult past, and she didn't want to go back and revisit it." I shook my head. "All I know was that my Nano was Nana's second wife, but Mama never spoke about anyone much." I shrugged and smiled at him. "It's okay, though, because we were a happy family, my parents, Yusuf Bhai and me. No drama, no toxicity." 

He smiled back at me and took my hand in his. His hand felt soft and warm against my cold one. "You have a family now, Amira. I am your family, as are my parents." 

"Alhumdulillah." I rested my head on his shoulder. I turned my head to look up at him and smiled. 

He slowly leaned forward, as if waiting for me to stop him. But I didn't stop him. I closed my eyes and nodded lightly. Suddenly, I felt his lips on mine. I cannot deny it; it was a strange feeling. One day, I was a girl living on her own, and now here I was, a bride kissing her husband. I placed my hand on his cheek, deepening the kiss. 

I was very excited to start this new life. It felt good to have a life partner.

It is true, faith in Allah and sabr could never lead to disappointment. The whole test was having sabr in the first place. Yes, I had often been impatient and questioning why I had been left alone in the world, but my Allah had still given me a chance at a new life with a new family. 

Alhumdulillah.

*

Yamna

"I'm afraid business class is full." The check-in agent gave us a sympathetic smile.

While Rohaan and his parents had managed to change their booking to this date, in business class, it seemed that Mama and I were going to be travelling in economy... not that I had a problem with that. Kamran Nana had also managed to purchase a last minute business class ticket.

"It's okay. What difference does it make?" Mama asked. "We're all going to the same destination." 

"Chachi, you swap with me. I'll be with Yamna." Rohaan said. 

"Rohaan..." Mama began to insist.

"Saba, it's okay. He'll be fine at the back." Anabia Mama smiled weakly. "You come with us. Let's get pampered. We deserve it as the mothers of these anxiety-inducing kids."

We all laughed at that.

"With that logic, we deserve First Class." Tayan added.

We checked in and headed through security. 

I could sense Anabia Mama's relief once we were inside. The danger to Rohaan's life and safety had significantly reduced now that we were at the airport, ready to depart the country. 

I felt the same relief, to be honest. I'd seen news about target killings and stuff, and it really frightened me.

And I was looking forward to be back home again.

*

Amira

The morning after the Nikah, I was back at my flat to continue packing up my stuff. 

Last night had been good. We'd talked a lot, and had fallen asleep. Even a simple Nikah had been tiring, and I had been unable to stay awake for much longer.

I went to the room, and spotted a box on the floor. I had kept some mementos of my parents after they'd passed away. These were some of the items that they had cherished from their own past. Picking up a trophy, I looked at the name plaque. Fiza Zohaib. She had won this trophy for volleyball. She'd told me that you used to love that sport. 

My mother had been barely eighteen when she got married. At that time, it was possible for sixteen or seventeen-year-olds to marry with parental consent. She said that she had fallen in love with my father. My Nano hadn't been very pleased, but she had gotten them quietly married off, to prevent Zina. My parents had then moved to the US as students. Mama got pregnant with Bhai within the first year of her marriage, and had to halt her studies, but she continued after he was six months. She won scholarship after scholarship and managed to get a Masters' Degree as well. She had been a very good student. And that is exactly what Nano had told everyone, that Mama had gone abroad to study. Not many people knew about the Nikah.

I didn't know much about my maternal side of the family, and I'd never really cared to find out. But holding this trophy of my mother's now, and with Bhai gone, I wanted to dig more into the family history. Maybe, just maybe, someone connected to my mother was still alive.

I need to find out.

*

Anabia

I strongly believed that our brains were our biggest torturers. When we try to sleep, they bring back the stupidest things to remember and cringe over. And when we actually sleep, they torture us with memories that break our hearts all over again.

*

"Anabia!" Mama's voice made me jump up, startled.

I was in my bed, a book resting on my chest.

"Look at the time! In which decent homes do people sleep till eleven!?" Mama's voice came from the other side of the door. 

I smiled. "It's my day off. And you can come in, Mama." 

"Zindagi soke nahin ghuzarte..." Her voice seemed to fade away, as if someone had gradually turned the volume knob until the sound decreased and disappeared.

*"You can't spend your life sleeping..."

I stared at the door, willing for it to open, but it never did. "Mama?" I got out of bed and rushed towards the door and opened it.

I found myself in the hallway, which was foggy for some reason. Saim's door on the opposite side was closed. "Mama?" I looked up and down the hall, but she wasn't there. 

"Anabia..."

"Anabia..."

*

"Anabia." 

"Mama?" I woke up with a start, convinced that I'd heard her voice. 

From beside me, Rehan glanced at me, frowning. "What's wrong?" 

"Did you see Mama?" I still felt disorientated.

"Anya..." 

"She was here. She was telling me off for sleeping in too late..." I trailed off as I realised that I was on a plane, and not in the comfortable home which had been a safe haven for Mama, me and Saim for years. Tears ran down my cheeks. "I'd give anything for her to tell me off again, or to hear her sarcasm." 

He reached out and took my hand over the dividing section between the seats. He didn't say anything, but he didn't have to. His grip on my hand was enough.

*

Rohaan

I stared at disbelief at the way my knees were pressed up against the seat in front of me. "Am I really expected to sit like this throughout the flight?" 

Yamna looked almost guilty, as if this was her fault. "You should have stayed in business." 

"No, it's cool. One needs to learn to adjust to all sorts of situations in life." I shrugged.

A cabin crew member was passing by, and she must have overheard me. "Sir, is everything okay?" Her gaze went towards my knees and she gave me a sympathetic smile. "I can offer you an emergency exit seat, if you wish? You can get extra leg room there."

"Yes, please. Do you have two together? For me and my wife?" I asked, taking Yamna's hand, because I knew that she was seething at the way the air hostess was smiling at me.

The woman's jaw twitched with slight displeasure, but her smile remained on her face. "Sure, sir. Follow me, please." She led me and Yamna to the exit seats, which had more than sufficient space for my legs. "Here you go." 

"Thank you." I nodded at her. 

"You're welcome, sir." Without even looking at Yamna, she walked off.

I smirked as I saw Yamna frowning. "You have no competitions, don't worry."

"I didn't see her giving anyone else this much attention." 

"It's business. She heard me complain, and she worked on it to resolve my issues to make the company look good. That's all."

"Sure. It's business." 

I couldn't help laughing. "You know, pink isn't the only colour that suits you. Green suits you too." She glared at me and I laughed harder. "Yamna, I have no interest in anyone but you. Even if someone flirts with me, I won't flirt back." 

"I know, but she should stay professional and not flirt when on duty." Yamna frowned harder. 

"I really had no idea that a jealous hamster was this adorable." I casually placed my arm around here shoulders as she fastened her seat belt.

Yamna fell asleep shortly after take-off, but I stayed awake. I knew that we had met Mama's other sister Mariyam around a decade ago. She now worked at a supermarket and rented her own one-bedroom flat. 

But what happened to the other sister?

I was determined to find out.

*

Surprising plot-twist!

But this was the relevance of having Amira as a main character in the story. She's the daughter of Fiza Zohaib. 

Amira has married Zaryab! Their story will be an arranged marriage to love story.

How will the families react after hearing the bombshell of Amira's identity?

Yusuf and Amira were the Rehan siblings' cousins all this time! (And Bunny's!)

I'm sorry for the delay, and I know the chapter is a bit all over the place, but I was lacking inspiration to write.

Favourite part?

Thoughts and comments?

Thank you for reading and don't forget to vote!