"Ye itne sare bags me kya hai?" Farida asked Aamir who just entered the hall with shopping bags in his hands. His face gave away the happiness that was bubbling inside him after getting all his favourite things....."Ammi..ye mere hain"

"Hainnn....sikko se itna kuch mil gaya?" Farida exclaimed taking a peek into the bags

"Sikkon se ye carry bag bhi nahin milta" Aamir made a face

"Ye Shahzain bhai ne dilwaye hain" Aamir showed his teeth

"Aamir.....kitni baar mana kiya hai ki itni kimti cheezein tohfe me nahin lete" Farida frowned

"Aap ye Amara ko toh nahin kehtin...jab Shahjain bhai unko diamonds ke gifts dete hain" Aamir huffed

"Uski baat alag hai Aamir......"

"Kyun........"

Before Farida could say anything, the rest of the cousins entered the house and seeing them, Aamir ran towards his room with his shoppers, he had been telling them it's all Amara's lest someone asked for something.

Asma and Aliya also straight away went to their room while Ahil sat with Shahzain and Amara in the hall

Farida brought juice for all the three and sat next to Amara "Pasand aaya kuch ... farewell function ke liye?"

"Haan Ammi.....ye dekhein" Amara smiled and showed Farida a dress

"Bahut pyari lag rahi hai...." Farida smiled

"Shahzain bhai ne pasand ki...."

"Dono bhai behen ne aaj Shahzain ko bahut tang kiya nahin" Farida said looking at Aamir who came in the hall after changing

"Aamir..tumne nahi dikhaya..tumne kya kya liya" Ahil who was oblivious of Aamir's purchases frowned at him.

"Kuch nahi....bas ek white shirt..." Aamir lied through his teeth and looked at Shahzain who was busy talking to Amara about something.

The door bell rang and distracted Ahil ........ and next second the guests distracted them more ....

"Adeel Bilal.........."

"Assalawalaikum Rubina aapi.." Farida welcomed the guests with a smile

"Walaikum Assalam Farida" Rubina greeted back

Everyone greeted each other and Farida went to the kitchen.

"Kaise ho Shahzain.." Rubina asked in an affectionate tone

"Theek hun Phupho.." Shahzain answered politely

"Aur meri gudiya kaisi hai?" Rubina kissed Amara's forehead

"Achhi hun " Amara hugged Rubina

"Aur hum bhi bahut achhe hain" Adeel and Bilal hugged the duo making Shahzain shake his head.

Aamir smiled and climbed the couch to join the hug but mistakenly jumped on Shahzain's fingers making him glare at him.....

"S sorry bhaijaan...Amara ne dhakka de diya tha" Aamir stuttered and put the blame on Amara who could get away with even a murder incase of Shahzain.

Ahil smiled looking at the group hug but he was not outgoing like Aamir...so just stood at his place. Rubina was not his Phupho...so he was not that close to her but he used to frown at how  Asma and Aliya were also not so close to Rubina...she was their Phupho right.....

Hania along with her daughters came in the hall and greeted Rubina who reciprocated with a smile.

Hania looked at the shoppers " Itni shopping kisne ki"

"Dekhein na Ammi ... Amara ke liye Shahzain bhai ne itni dresses khareed din..lekin maine ek dress ke liye bola toh mana kar diya" Asma twitched her lips

"Apna khoon apna hi hota hai...nai Shahzain" Hania taunted Shahzain who scoffed "To mai kahaan keh raha hun ki kuch units mujhe de dein....."

"Bas baatein karwa lein inse....." Hania fake smiled at Rubina fearing more throw of insults from Shahzain's side infront of everyone.

Shahzain got up placing a kiss on Amara's head "Hey....why are you upset?"

"Kuch nahin bhaijaan"

"Utho chalo.....mere sath" He pulled Amara and with her Bilal and Adeel also got pulled up.

Aamir poked his tongue at Hania from behind but was caught by Farida .."Kya kar rahe the tum"

"Mujhe Phupho nahin achi lagtin..hamesha Amara ko udaas kar deti hain...."

"Aisa nahin kehte..."

"Koi unse kyun nahin kehta ye" Aamir frowned but then Ahil came there and dragged him upstairs......
"Chal upar movie chal rahi hai"

There was a movie going on in Shahzain's room. He brought Amara to cheer her mood and with her came the  twins.

Shahjain had then gone to his study for some work.

Aamir and Ahil joined them after sometime.

"Yaar ye movie band karo...hum dance karenge...."

Bilal had covered his head with a chunari.....and Aamir pulled it down till his face covering it.

"Chunari Chunari....."

All started dancing ... when Bilal got a little crazy with his moves pushing out everyone from his way....
"Aaja na chhu le meri chunari sanam..kuch na mai bolun tujhe meri kasam...chunari chunari..."

Suddenly, the music player stopped making Bilal frown inside his veil..."Yaar chalao na....band kyun kar dia..."

"Chunari chunari..uhun uhun " he kept dancing when his hands pulled somebody in a flow..."Aaja na chhule.."

"Bilal..." Amara removed the stole from his head and next his eyes were wide like saucers "Sh..Shahzain bhai..........aa aap ko chhune ke liye nahin bol raha tha"

"Bilal.." Shahzain gritted his teeth

"Mmai Adeel hun..."

"Saale..main yahaan hun" Before Shahzain could say anything, another voice came from behind.

"Mmujhe laga mai Adeel hun...thoda ghabra gaya tha na.." Bilal stuttered giving the lamest excuse making Shahzain's glare more deadly.

"Bhai ..mai nikalta hun......." Bilal thought of escaping but then turned "Abbu se kuch mat kahiyega bhai.....please......wo mujhe sach me chunari ke sath ghar par bitha denge"

"2 minute de raha hun.....pura kamra theek karo" Shahzain's voice boomed in the room

"Lekin main culprit toh bhaag gaya " Aamir didn't like the injustice but then Shahzain's eyes made him change his mood "Toh kya hua ..  khaali toh baithe hain..kyun Amara"

Amara nodded and immediately started setting the bed .... Shahzain had never got angry on her..but she was still scared of him as she had seen  his anger on others.....sometimes even she used to wonder why did he love her so much.........did he feel sympathy for her as she was adopted.

"Amara use chhod idhar help kar..." Aamir's voice distracted Amara and she turned to his help.

"Aaj kal toh 2 minute me maggi bhi nahi banti..aur inhe apna kamra bana hua chahiye" Aamir pouted and slapped Adeel's back pushing him to work fast.

-------------------

"Amara mera phone de..." Aamir was chasing Amara who had snatched his phone for making him do one of her works...........

"Pehle mera kaam kar.." Amara ran towards the staircase....

"Pehle phone"

"Nai...." Amara again started running looking behind and just a miscalculation of steps got her rolling down the stairs..."Aaaaah"

"Amara" Aamir ran towards her unconscious sister whose head was bleeding profusely..."Ammiiiii"

Aamir's shrill screams gathered the ladies around as the men were in the office.

"Jaldi se kuch kare" Aamir was panicking......

"Haye Allah... kitna khoon nikal raha hai.... baaji jaldi ambulance bulayein...." Farida pressed the spot with a cotton cloth

Ahil shook his head at his Phupho who was doing everything like a snail........he snatched the phone and dialled the numbers

And somehow now they reached the  hospital and were praying for Amara

"Patient ko blood ki zarurat hai.... unka blood group bhi bahut rare hai..O- , aaplog jaldi se arrange karein" a nurse informed them making them panic more

"Pehle family me hi dekh lein.....unke blood relatives me se shayad kisi ka match kar jaye"

"Blood relatives kahaan se layein" Ahil was tensed but Farida turned to Rubina who nodded in negative

"Hania baaji aap Anwar bhai aur Shahzain ko bulayein...." Farida's words just made Ahil, Aamir, Aliya and Asma snap their heads at her.

"Ammi......wo blood relatives ki baat kar rhein hain" Aamir was shocked

"Tum Anwar bhai aur Shahzain ko phone lagao bas" Farida was panicking now.

Hardly a few minutes had passed when a frantic Shahzain was seen rushing towards them in a disheveled state....Anwar was just behind him.

"Kya huwa Amara ko..doctor ne kya kaha" Unshed tears in Shahzain's eyes made him look more vulnerable

"Bhai.... Amara ko blood ki zarurat hai.....O-.....aur hamari family me " Before Ahil could complete, Shahzain saw the doctor coming and ran towards his direction..."I  I have the same blood group...jjjust save her"

"Ok...ok...calm down calm down...nurse aap inhe le jayein"The doctor rubbed Shahzain's shoulders.

---------------

"Ab aapne aisa kyun muh bana liya hai..jaise wo marne wali ho" Hania grimaced at her husband

"Hania" Anwar glared at her

Seeing Shahzain come towards them, Anwar asked

"Theek hai wo?"

"Hume apne haal par chhod dein toh meherbaani hogi" Shahzain replied in a dry tone

"Aise kaise..."

"Jaisa aapne barson pehle kiya tha....." Shahzain said in a plain tone sauntering towards a corner

------------------------

Shahzain took out his wallet and saw a picture where there were 5 members. He smiled with tears remembering the memory

《《《

"Chachi chachi..Ammu so gayi...?" A eight and a half year old Shahzain entered his Chachu's room.

"Nahin tumhara intizaar kar rahi thi..." his chachi smiled carrying him to the bed. He had just returned from school and rushed to his baby cousin.

"Shah pehle khana kha lo....phir khelte rehna"

"Aap mujhe yahaan de dein  Ammi...hum dono sath me khayenge..hain na Ammu" Shahzain cooed the baby who squealed in joy.

Just then, a man came out of the washroom and smiled "Arre aa gaya mera bachcha"

"Ji Chachu...but aapko apna promise yaad hai na...hum shaam ko kahaan jayenge..."

"The man picked Shahzain in his arms "bilkul bilkul...lekin pehle aap ye lunch karein"

》》》》

It was Rubina's touch which brought Shahzain back to present...
"Shahzain sabra rakho...kuch nahi hoga Amara ko"

"Aap ko pata hai Phupho...mujhe  fark nahi pada tha jab Abbu hume chhod kar chale gaye the......kyunki Chachu ne kabhi yeh ehsaas hone hi nahin diya..."

"Shahzain...aaj achanak kyun"

"Sab achanak toh hi hua tha na phupho...ek din me ..Ammi Chachu Chachi sab chale gaye......aur ab Amara" 

Rubina could feel Shahzain's pain...that boy had held so much pain inside ....at 7 his father left him and his mother for Hania who was divorced and already had twins from her first marriage. His grandfather had strictly said that if anybody would go from the house it would be Anwar not his daughter in law.

Hassan, Anwar's young brother filled that void in Shahzain's life with his love. He was over the moon when his chachu and chachi brought a little fairy home..........he was asked to choose a name and he chose Amara.
Despite having his own child, Hassan never discriminated between Amara and Shahzain and so did his wife.

The happiness came to a halt when his family left the world in a car accident leaving Amara with him . His grandfather had no choice but to call his son back. Anwar came with Hania and her brothers.

Hania proposed to keep Shahzain with them as he was the sole heir of the property. Hania's sister in law Farida who was having a hard time conceiving felt a genuine concern for a three year old Amara who was in a few days adopted by her and her husband.

They lived in the same house.  Shahzain had gone quiet..his chirpiness was lost........ he would only talk to Amara and play with her if she cried. And with time his bitterness towards everyone increased with Amara being the only exception. She was his heart....and he could do anything for her.

"Mr Malik"

The doctor's voice made Rubina and Shahzain come out of their thoughts.

"Ji doctor kaisi hai wo?"

"She is out of danger....bas kuch ghanton me hosh aa jayega"

"Thank you..... thank you so much" Shahzain's gratitude could be seen in his eyes.