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*

Thank you, all of you, who put in so much effort for the previous comment challenges!

Thank you, everyone, for your patience with me. My work schedule doesn't allow me to write as much as I want to.

And, lastly, I will not be able to publish anything from 22nd May to AT LEAST 30th May.

*

Rohaan

Hearing Maham scream out for us made me immediately (and carefully) hand Annie over to Hoor, before dashing upstairs. "Maham, what's wrong?" 

Haya's daughter stood at the landing in her Cocomelon colourful night-suit, a tear running down her cheek. "It's Nano. She's very upset."

I ran towards Mama's room, without thinking twice.

*

Anabia

I was back at the home where Saim and I had been raised by Mama. 

A part of me felt happy to be back. It was the place from my memories that I'd missed the most. I walked down the hallway and down the stairs, and I could hear humming.

I made my towards the kitchen and stopped in the doorway.

Mama stood by the stove, cooking something. "Anabia?" She knew I was here, even though her back was to me.

"Yes, Mama?" I felt a strong urge to run forward and hug her.

She turned to face me, a soft smile on my face. "Is he ready?"

"Who?" I felt confused.

"Rohaan." She shook her head at me, giving me a disapproving look, as if she was disappointed that I had forgotten something important.

"Ready for what?" 

"I'm here to take him with me. He needs to come with me." She had replied, the smile remaining on her face.

*

And that's when I had woken up, crying and trembling with fear.

I was constantly fearing for Rohaan because of his career, and now this dream...

I realised too late that I had ended up scaring little Maham, who had been asleep beside me.

But I couldn't help myself. The fear for the safety of my older son was growing inside me with each passing moment.

"Rohaan..." I whispered his name as a fresh tear escaped my eye and ran down the side of my face.

*

Rohaan

"Mama!" I sat down on the bed beside her, running a hand over her head. "Mama, what's wrong?" 

"Rohaan, don't go with her." She whispered, clutching at my hand.

"Don't go with who?" I asked, confused. 

She sat up, putting a hand on my cheek. "I don't want you to get hurt." 

"Boss Woman, don't worry about me." I gave her a small smile. "I can take care of myself." 

Arsal, Haya and Hoor came into the room, while Hoor still cradling Annie.

"What's wrong, Mama?" Haya asked, worriedly.

"Don't let Rohaan go anywhere." Mama seemed a little disorientated.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head. "I'm not going anywhere, Boss Woman. Don't worry." 

*

Yamna

"Did she get a bad dream?" Maham looked at me, wide-eyed.

I had brought her to my room, and she was currently sitting on the bed, playing with my rabbit soft toy. 

"She...I think she missed your Nana." I said. I wasn't sure whether to discuss scary dreams or fear with a kid. "That's why she got so sad." 

"Oh." She looked thoughtful. "He isn't too far away. She shouldn't be sad."

I leaned down to hug her. "When you're used to being with someone all the time, you miss them, even when they aren't too far away." I helped her lie down in the bed. "Now go to sleep, Maham. It's very late." 

"Where's Mama?" 

"She's with Nano right now." I ran a hand over her head. "You go to sleep, okay?" 

She closed her eyes, clutching onto the rabbit. Since it was very late, it wasn't long before she fell asleep. 

I was dozing off beside her when Rohaan came into the room. Haya Appi stood in the doorway, glancing towards Maham.

"She's asleep." I told her in a sleepy voice.

"Let her sleep here, Haya. I'll go to the downstairs bedroom." Rohaan told his sister. 

"But..." Haya Appi began.

"It's okay, Haya Appi. She already woke up once from sleep. She can sleep here, no problem." I smiled at her.

"Okay, but let me know if she wakes up and bothers you." Haya Appi said.

"I think Yamna is the one who would be bothering my Maham." Rohaan glanced at me, teasingly.

I glared at him.

"Don't be mean to Yum-Yum." Haya Appi told him off. 

"I won't, unless she bothers my niece." He grinned at me.

"Rohaan..." I narrowed my eyes at him, and he just laughed.

"Ro..." Haya Appi also glared at him. "Behave." 

Despite being ganged up on, Rohaan remained unfazed.

*

Rohaan

The next morning, I checked up on Mama first and foremost, and she was still asleep. I then headed to my room and when I opened the door, I was surprised to see Maham sitting on the bed with Annie beside her. Yamna sat at the foot of the bed, watching over my nieces.

"Wow. We have VIP guests here this morning." I said.

"Mamu!" Maham got up on the bed and launched herself at me as I got close enough, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Detective, you invade my room last night. Should I arrest you for it?" I asked her, teasingly.

"No!" She shook her head vigorously.

"What do you say, Yamna? Arrest or just a caution?" I glanced at Yamna.

"Just a sweetly-spoken caution, since her intentions were pure." My wife replied.

I turned back to Maham. "Only a caution, thanks to your Mumani." 

"Mumani, you are the bestest!" Maham blew her an air-kiss.

"Better than me?" I tickled her with one hand, while holding onto her with the other.

Maham gave me an angelic smile, with a hint of mischievousness.

Yep, definitely my niece and Behaya's daughter.

"Annie is wondering when anyone will play with her..." Yamna's voice made me turn towards the bed.

"Don't feel bad, Annie." I sat down on the bed, and Maham climbed out of my arms and onto the bed, leaning over Annie to give her a kiss. "You and your Maham Appi are my special little detectives, my team." 

"But I'm more special?" Maham pouted up at me.

"You're both equal, Maham. You both are the daughters of my sisters. I can't have favourites." 

"But if you could have a favourite?" Maham's eyes glinted.

"Nice try, but no." I kissed her forehead. "No favourites." I picked Annie up, holding her close against myself.

Maham leaned against me, gently grabbing Annie's hand. 

*

I couldn't help thinking about Mama's words, her fears, even as I headed to work for a night shift later that day. Was her anxiety due to everything that had happened, including Hashir Kamran's actions, or was she merely connecting everything together and was terrified of losing another loved one? With me being a police detective, it was natural that she was the most worried about me.

I was sitting at my desk, my mind a miles away from the police station, tossing a soft basketball in the small hoop that Ahmed and I had installed near our desks to kill boredom during boring shifts.

"We were just called to a family home where two siblings had a fight over who gets to watch TV." Ahmed sat down in his chair at his desk, shaking his head. 

"Sounds like me and Haya." I grinned. 

"Unbelievable. This is the kind of work we are getting stuck with these days. What happened to the good crime?" 

"The good crime?!" I laughed in disbelief. "Did one of the siblings throw a remote which hit you in the head?" 

He reached into his backpack under his desk and pulled something out.

"Is that a wedding invitation?"

"It's my Nikah card." He admitted sheepishly. "Shay's family will be holding the mehndi the day of our Nikah, and two days later it's the Valima." 

I took the card and opened it. "Congratulations, bro. Your imprisonment date is fixed."

"Marriage is the one punishment that someone receives without committing a crime." He sighed, dramatically.

"Repeat that after the Nikah, if you dare." I chuckled.

"Anyway, the whole family is invited, so be there." He said.

"Sorry, I'm working that day." I joked.

"Once a kamina, always a kamina." He muttered, making me laugh again.

"I'll be there, In Sha Allah." I said. "You're not a friend, if you don't humiliate your friend at their wedding." 

He gave me a middle finger.

"So, you're completely okay with an arranged marriage?" I asked.

"Yeah. I trust my parents...I guess." He chuckled. "If they want sharif grandkids, they're definiely gonna find me a good partner, right?" 

"In your case, all hopes will be on the bechari for decency, since you yourself are a number one kamina." 

"Shut up, Rohaan." 

"If I had a penny for every time that I'd heard that sentence, I'd be a billionaire by now." 

"Lady, what's wrong?!" A loud voice made us both turn.

We both stared in shock at the sight before us.

It was a girl in a red desi bridal dress, with curly back hair flanking her face, and with a large round nath. The red sheer dupatta barely covered the top of her head and the golden mang tikka was lopsided. She was panting, glancing around fearfully with her large hazel eyes. 

But what stunned me even more was Ahmed's expressions as he saw her. He seemed to be mesmerised by her.

"Bro, I'm literally holding your Nikah invitation." I told him.

But he paid no attention to me, and stepped towards the girl.

Police officers were questioning her, but she didn't seem to understand them. She was shaking and in tears.

"Pakistani? Indian?" Ahmed asked her softly. 

"P-Pakistani." She finally spoke. 

"Urdu aati hai?" He asked her.

*"Do you know Urdu?"

She nodded, almost seeming shocked that someone understood her language.

"We'll talk to her." Ahmed glanced at the other officers. "We know the language."

Our colleagues walked away, and Ahmed led her to his desk, gesturing for her to sit down at one of the empty chairs. 

She hesitantly sat down, but she kept glancing over her shoulder, as if scared that someone was going to come in after her.

"Darrain matt. Yahan koi nahin aayega aapke peechay." Ahmed reassured her.

*"Don't be scared. Nobody will chase you in here."

She seemed to relax a little, but she clutched her dupatta tighter around herself.

"Paani peeyaingi aap?" I asked.

*"Would you like some water?" 

She nodded, and I headed to the staff break room to get a new bottle of mineral water. When I returned, Ahmed was sat at his desk, asking her questions. "Aap daray baghair humain batadain ke masla kya hai."

*"Tell us, without any fear, what the problem is." 

She shook her head. "Woh mardainge mujhe."

*"They'll kill me." 

"Kaun?" Ahmed frowned.

*"What?" 

"M-Mera naam...Asma hai." She spoke quietly. "Main is mulk padhne aayi thi. Mere maa baap ne yahan mujhe mere Mamu ke bharosay bhaija tha." 

*"My name...is Asma."
"I came to this country to study. My parents sent me here, entrusting my Mamu with looking after me."

Ahmed glanced briefly at me, and we both seemed to have figured out what was coming. He didn't press further, simply waited patiently for her to continue.

"Woh... unhon ne meri padhai chudhwadi, and aur chahte the...ke main Mumani ke khandan ke kisi jaane waale se shaadi karloon." She whispered, playing with her red and gold bangles. "Maine bohat mana kiya. Maine unhain kaha bhi ke Islam main nahin jaiyaz zabardasti ki shaadi, laikin woh nahin maane!"

*"They...they made me stop studying, and they want me to marry...a family friend of Mumani's family."
"I refused them, repeatedly. I even said that forced marriage isn't permitted in Islam, but they didn't listen!"

She took a sip of water, and sat in silence for a few moments. "Abhi mera unse jhagra ho gaya. Maine unhain saaf saaf keh diya hai ke main yeh shaadi nahin karoongi. Unhon ne mujhe dhamkaya ke woh mujhe is mulk se waapis Pakistan bhijwadainge."

*"I just argued with them. I told them clearly that I won't marry this man. They threatened me that they would have me deported back to Pakistan."

"Kuch nahin karsakte woh aapka." Ahmed reassured you. "Unki koi dhamki hum pura nahin hone dainge."

*"They can't do anything to you."
"We won't let them fulfil any of their threats."

"Main kya karoon? Mera student visa tha hi meri padhai ke basis pay, laikin woh padhai bhi unhon ne chudwadi. Ab main kya karoon?!" She started crying in frustration.

*"What can I do? Studying is mandatory for my student visa, but they also made me quit studying. Now what do I do?"

Ahmed crouched down in front of her, to my surprise. "Kuch nahin bigadh sakte woh aapka. Yeh mera aapse vaada hai."

*"They can't harm you in any way. That's my promise to you."

"Asma! ASMA!" A loud, gruff voice came from the entrance, and a chubby older man strode it, accompanied by a frowning middle-aged man.

Ahmed immediately got up and strode towards them. "This is a police station, not a playground. Tone it down." 

"Listen, bro. My fiancée is lost and confused. She doesn't know the language and she..." The chubby man began.

"She doesn't know the language, but we know her language." Ahmed glared at him. "So, don't come to a police station and act like you're the effing Prime Minister." 

"Look, my niece is silly and naïve. We know what's best for her." The older man spoke quietly, glancing around like he was embarrassed to be here. He called out over my shoulder. "Asma, beta! Chalo! Dekho hum laine aaye hain tumhain!" 

*"Let's go! Look, we have come to get you!"

"Main chaloon aur aap mujhe maardain, haina?" Asma stood up, but didn't come closer.

*"I come with you and you kill me, right?" 

"Ghairat to jaan se bhi badke hai." The chubby man said, quietly.

*"One's honour is more important than one's life."

I moved over to stand right in front of him. "Are you threatening her? In a police station full of police officers?" 

There are up to fifteen honour killings in the UK per year. Even one is too many, and yet there were people out there, mainly girls, who suffered in the name of ghairat. 

The older man, who I assumed was the Mamu, lowered his voice as he addressed me directly. "Look, you know how girls are? She must have felt nervous on her wedding day, and might have wandered off. Because she's new in the country, she might have come here to seek help as she might have lost her way." 

I looked suspiciously at him. "You have really thought this through, haven't you? Have you thought about how you would have answered her parents?" 

"L-Let's go before we get arrested." The chubby man told his companion in a loud whisper that even I could hear.

But the older man focused on Asma. "Chalo, Asma."

*"Let's go, Asma."

"N-Nahin." Asma shook her head.

The men glanced uncomfortably at the police officers, before the chubby man took a step towards her.

"She said no." Ahmed spoke threateningly as he stepped forward to stand between the men and Asma. "You two can either leave on your own, or we can arrest you. Forced marriage is illegal in the UK, as I recall." 

Knowing that they were basically defeated, the two man glared furiously at Asma, before walking out of the police station.

"Mujhe mere Maa Baap se baat karwadain! Maine Pakistan waapis jaana hai." Asma pleaded with Ahmed. 

*"Help me contact my parents! I want to go back to Pakistan."

Ahmed nodded. "Hum kareinge aapki madat."

*"We'll help you."

I couldn't believe that guy. One minute he was handing me the invitation to his Nikah to another girl, and the next minute...

I mean, I wanted to help her too, of course. But Ahmed seemed smitten.

I just really hoped that he could get through this situation with the least amount of pain and heartache.

*

Amira

I stared at myself in the mirror. I wore a maroon blouse with high waisted black trousers, and a long black blazer. Running my fingers through my long, dark hair, I let my mind wander. Within a month, I had gone from being alone, to having a family. First Zaryab, and now a Naniyal!  Alhumdulillah.

It was true. Allah answers our prayers in the most unexpected and pleasant of ways.

I turned and saw Zaryab enter the room wearing black shalwar kameez. My cheeks warmed as I saw him, as was often the case these days. I was behaving like a girl with a crush around him. And, maybe, I was that: a girl with a crush.

His six-foot-three firefighter built was emphasised in this outfit, and I tilted my head slightly as I admired him from head to toe. Ma Sha Allah. I was the type of girl who would even blush confidently. I certainly wasn't going to get all embarrassed about checking out my own husband.

"Ready for work?" He smiled at me.

"Yes." I nodded.

"Shall I drop you off?" He asked. "I'm off today anyway." 

"It's okay. I can drive..." I stopped and paused for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay. You can drop me off." 

He stepped towards me. "And if you want, I can also pick you up later and take you out for dinner?" 

I took a step towards him too. "I'd like that very much, thank you." 

He held his hand out towards me, his gaze locked with mine. I placed my hand in his, noticing the significant size difference in our hands. Without a further word exchanged, we walked out, hand-in-hand.

Initially, it had been weird to have a husband. It was weird to share a bedroom, a bed, basically my entire personal life, with someone. But I was gradually starting to adjust. And Zaryab had done everything and anything to make me feel welcome and at home here.

It was the start of something new, and I was really looking forward to more special moments between us. In Sha Allah.

*

Yamna

"Anabia Mama!" I was surprised to see my mother-in-law descend the stairs.

"Before you overreact, Yamna, I'm fine." She gave me a weak smile.

"Are you okay? Did you want anything?" I asked.

"I was bored in the room. I cannot be stuck in there for another moment!" 

"But you..." 

"I had a nightmare, Yamna. I'm not sick!"

But it didn't feel normal to me. She had seemed way too upset last night. Is she just brushing it all off?

"Is something bothering you?" I asked her.

She sighed, closing her eyes. "Kamran Uncle called me." 

"And?" 

"And he said that if Rohaan doesn't back off..." She couldn't finish the sentence. "He didn't mean it as a threat. In fact, I heard fear in his voice." 

"I thought he wasn't involved in whatever happened."

"I don't think he was. But he feels that the gang chapter isn't over yet, and that they are very mad at Rohaan for destroying their operation." She shuddered. "That's why the nightmare..."

"Anabia Mama, Rohaan knows how to handle himself in dangerous situations..." I was trying to reassure her, but I wasn't sounding very convincing. Rohaan acted very impulsively and recklessly in dangerous situations, and his mother knew it as well as I did, if not better.

"The boy and his actions are constantly capable of causing me a heart attack." She shook her head in disapproval.

"May Allah keep him under His protection. Ameen." I gave her a hug. "I know that it might sound unreasonable for me to say this, but please stop stressing." 

"Ameen." She sighed. "Oh, Yamna, a mother never stops stressing. Especially the mother of a reckless detective." 

*

Rohaan

"I'm not a two-timing cheat." Ahmed muttered as we headed to our cars in the morning. "I honestly don't know what happened to me last night." He shook his head. "I'm about to get married. I need to get these thoughts out of my head." 

"Ahmed..."

"I know, I know. I won't hurt Shay." He sighed, his shoulders dropping. "She doesn't deserve this." He glanced back towards the police station. "I can't help wondering where they are going to take Asma though."

"Lucinda said that she'll take care of her." 

"Yes, but it must be a scary experience for someone who doesn't speak or understand English. She's basically on her own in a foreign country..." Ahmed looked genuinely worried.

It almost felt like he had agreed for an arranged marriage, and was now heading more in the direction of 'love'. Frankly speaking, that was a s***ty position to be in, and I wondered how he would deal with him. Being a brother of two sisters, I hoped that he acted maturely and wouldn't hurt either girl... but it seemed to be a situation where someone was bound to get hurt. It would be painful for him to call off the wedding this close to the Nikah date, but it would possibly be even worse for him to go ahead with the marriage despite having feelings for someone else. "See you later, Ahmed." 

I got into my car and saw him just standing there, staring back at the police station. Rolling down my window, I called out. "Go home, Ahmed." 

He turned to me, startled, almost as if he had forgotten about my existence. 

I drove off. 

It was still early in the morning so the traffic wasn't so bad and I knew that I would be home sooner than during normal daytime hours.

The thought of getting into bed was wonderful, and I actually smiled and sped up a little.

*

Anabia

I had a migraine, so I headed up back to bed.

I slept for a couple of more hours, and just as I started to return back to consciousness, the sound of a gunshot made me jump and cry out in terror. "Rohaan!" 

It seemed that a mother's worst nightmare was coming true! 

*

Sorry that this chapter was shorter than intended guys. I got held up yesterday as I was very busy. I wanted to publish something before going on break though.

What could have happened? 

The gunshot?! 

Poor Ahmed got stuck in a love-triangle situation. Who would he choose?

Favourite part?

Thoughts and comments?

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