(Dua 9 years, Momin 13 years, Maham 8 years)

Hana's POV

"They will come anytime, Hanu! And you’re still in this kitchen!" Maan stepped inside, yelling.

"It's almost done," I mumbled, turning off the stove.

"Shanu, clean this kitchen before the guests arrive," I instructed, walking past Maan, clearly ignoring him.

"Why are you being so annoying?" I asked, noticing him following me with that infuriating expression.

"Cause you’re ignoring me," he said.

"You deserve it."

"Are you still angry?"

"Wouldn’t I be?" I asked, turning to him as we stepped into our room. He closed the door behind us and came closer.

"You shouldn’t," he said, wrapping his arms around me.

"You sent my son away from me, and you’re saying I shouldn’t be angry?" I asked, my tone serious.

"He needed this, Jaan… why don’t you understand? He’s totally dependent on you… he can’t even drink his milk if you’re not around," Maan said, trying to make me understand. I knew he was right. Rafay, our son, was not like his sisters. Dua and Maham had started doing small things—playing, eating, drinking milk, sleeping—on their own at age four. But Rafay needed me around constantly. He wouldn’t even play if I wasn’t there; he preferred being in the kitchen with me rather than playing with his sisters alone.

He always slept with us. Maan had never objected to this before, but now, at age five, since Rafay was still the same, Maan decided to send him to Fathima Aapi’s house for a week. She lived in the city with her husband and children.

"Hanu… you don’t have to worry about him… he’s with his dadi and dadu… and we both… I trust my parents enough to give Rafay’s care to them," he reassured.

"I also trust Mama and Baba, Maan… I know they’ll take care of him well."

"Then what’s the problem?" he asked.

"The problem is… he’s never lived away from us, Maan. I called Mama this morning, and she said Rafay couldn’t sleep well last night and kept asking for me… I’m missing him," I said, feeling guilty for my son. It had been two days since he left, and my eyes felt wet.

"I know, Hanu… I’m missing him too… but he needs to be away from you for a few days. He needs to know that you can’t always be around," Maan tried to comfort me. I looked at his face—it was clear how much he missed our son. These past two days were the first time we’d talked about it; I hadn’t given him a chance to speak.

I hugged him, resting my head on his chest. I knew how much he missed Rafay but couldn’t express it in front of me.

"Sorry for giving you the cold shoulder," I whispered, feeling him kiss my head.

"It’s okay… now go get ready… Ali’s family will be here soon," he said, pulling back. I nodded and took out my dress.

---

"Assalamualaikum," Sara and Ali greeted as they stepped out of the car. Rumaan approached them.

"Walaikum assalam. Thanks for coming," Rumaan said.

"It’s a pleasure, sir," Ali said with a smile.

"Ali… how many times have I told you I’m not your ‘sir’ outside the office?" Rumaan said, mock-offended.

"Sorry, si… Rumaan," Ali stammered.

"It’s okay… How are you, Bhabi?"

"Alhamdulillah, I’m good, Rumaan Bhai… how about you?" Sarah asked, giving him a respectful smile.

"Alhamdulillah, I’m great…"

"Now can we go inside… if you’re done with greetings?" Momin asked impatiently. Everyone chuckled at his scowled face.

"Okay, Sahabzade… let’s go…" Sara held Momin’s hand and led him inside.

"Assalamualaikum," I greeted them with a wide smile as they entered.

"Walaikum assalam," Sara and Ali replied. Sara hugged me lightly.

"You look pretty," I complimented Sara.

"Thank you… and you look gorgeous as always… no wonder Rumaan Bhai is crazy about you," Sara complimented back, making my cheeks heat up. Over the years, Sara and I had become very good friends.

Hana and Rumaan made them sit on the sofa and joined them. Momin, however, stood there, eyes constantly roaming around.

"Where is…," he cut himself off, noticing someone.

"Hi Momin," Maham greeted, turning around and smiling, making her way toward him.

"Hi Maham," he replied, walking toward her. Her face shone like the moon.

"They’ve become very good friends… you know, he was so excited to meet your daughter that he literally dragged me out of my room, saying, ‘Abbu will be angry, Ammi! Come on, he’s waiting for you,’" Sara said, laughing. Everyone joined in.

"And my daughters were too excited… even though they see each other at school every day," I said, laughing. I couldn’t help but think about their craziness for Momin. Sometimes it reminded me of my own craziness for Rumaan, but I quickly shrugged it off, assuring myself I was overthinking.

"Maham, where are you taking me?" Momin asked as Maham held his hand and started walking outside. But Momin stopped.

"I told you, na… I want to show you my new flower pot. Let’s go!" Maham said excitedly.

"Uh, yeah… but… where is Dua?" he asked again, looking around.

"She’s in her room," Maham replied.

"Why? Doesn’t she know I’m here?" Momin asked.

"She knows," Maham said.

"Then why hasn’t she come out?" he asked, looking a little sad that Dua hadn’t come to greet him.

"I don’t know," Maham shrugged, her face losing its shine as Momin asked about Dua.

"Come with me… I wan—"

"Where is Dua?" Rumaan asked. Momin turned to look at them.

"She’s in her room… seems upset about something. I called her, but she said she didn’t want to come out," I replied.

"What? I should check on her," Rumaan said, standing.

"No, Maan. Let her be… I think something happened between her and Maham… no need to interfere," I said firmly. Rumaan narrowed his eyes at me but shrugged, sitting again. We had already decided not to interfere between the two sisters so that neither felt hurt.

"What happened to her?" Momin asked Maham.

"I… I don’t know," Maham stuttered. Without another word, he ran toward Dua’s room.

"Where is he going?" Ali asked.

"To Dua," Sara and I said in unison, smiling knowingly.

*************

“Momin Ki Dua”

Dua’s head snapped toward the door. She was sitting on the couch with her tab.

She looked at Momin, and both their faces lit up seeing each other. Momin smiled widely while walking toward her. But she quickly looked down at her tab again. He sat beside her.

"What are you doing here? I was waiting for you," Momin said, and Dua looked up at him.

"Why were you waiting for me?" she asked, looking straight at him.

"Uhm… because you told me that you would show me a beautiful princess," he reminded her.

"Uh… haven’t you met that princess yet?" she asked, her face clearly showing that she was upset. Momin frowned but then smiled.

"Yes… I have met that princess… a beautiful princess… my princess," he said, grinning at her. Her face fell even more, but she tried to maintain a straight face.

"Then what are you doing here… go to your princess," she said and walked toward her bed, again trying to seem busy on her tab. Momin stood up.

"I'm with my princess," he said, and Dua’s head snapped toward him. She looked around and then back at Momin. He sat beside her again.

"Here isn’t your princess," Dua said, frowning.

"Yes… she is here… Dua… Dua is my princess," he said, and Dua’s face lit up. She smiled at him—but suddenly her smile disappeared.

"No! You’re lying! I’m not a princess… I look like a maid… Maham is the princess in that beautiful princess gown!" Dua yelled, standing up.

"Dua… what happened?" he asked, concerned. But she turned her back to him. He came in front of her and held her hand.

"Tell me… what happened? Did you fight with Maham?" he asked. But Dua shook her head.

"No, Momin. Woh (actually)… when I told you I’d show you a beautiful princess, I meant myself… Papa brought me and Maham beautiful princess gowns. Maham’s gown was baby pink… she always likes pink, and mine was sky blue… because you like blue… so I thought I’d wear this today. But Maham… she said she didn’t like the pink dress and wanted mine… and I had to give it to her because Maham became sad," Dua finally explained the reason for her bad mood. Momin and Dua were best friends; they shared everything with each other.

"She looks like a princess, na?" she asked Momin with innocent eyes. She couldn’t help but feel envy seeing Maham in her beautiful gown—not because Maham looked beautiful, but because she looked beautiful in front of Momin.

Momin frowned and tried to recall if Maham looked more beautiful than his Dua, but then he shook his head, smiling.

"Yes, Maham is beautiful…" he trailed off, noticing Dua’s sad face turning into anger.

"...but for me… no one can look more beautiful than Momin Ki Dua," Momin said, grinning ear to ear. Dua’s face quickly lit up into a wide smile.

"Sacchi? (Really?)" Dua asked, smiling. Momin nodded, smiling back.

"If I’m that beautiful, then marry me, Momin," she demanded loudly, still smiling. Momin’s eyes widened. Even though he liked… no, more than liked her… this thought had never crossed his mind.

"But Dua… we’re too young for that," he replied shyly, turning his face away. He heard Dua laughing and then felt her turn him toward her again.

"You idiot," she poked his forehead with her finger, giggling.

"I mean… marry me when we grow up," she said, grinning while holding both of Momin’s hands. Momin smiled and nodded, his face flushed.

"Momin, I love you," Dua blurted out, and Momin couldn’t help but smile even more. He had always seen his parents exchange “I love you”s, and now, some credit went to movies as well. Even Dua had picked up this expression from her parents and movies.

"I love you too, Momin Ki Dua," he said shyly, laughing a little while Dua giggled, still holding his hands.

---

"No!" Sara said sternly.

"Please, Ammi… tomorrow is Sunday," Momin pleaded.

"Momin…"

"Aunty, please," Dua stepped in front of her, speaking innocently. She held Momin’s hand, pleading for him to stay today so they could go see the sunrise tomorrow.

"But beta…" Sara started, but Hana interrupted.

"Sara… let him stay… it’s only for one day," Hana insisted, and Rumaan agreed. She looked at Ali, who shrugged and smiled, nodding.

"Fine," Sara finally agreed.

"Thank you, Ammi," Momin said, hugging his mother. She hugged him close to her heart. Her heartbeat quickened at the thought of her son staying away from her. She kissed his head, and he pulled slightly away.

"Won’t you miss your Ammi?" she asked.

"I will miss you, Ammi," he said, frowning.

"I know you won’t… because you have your Dua," she said in a low tone, but everyone heard and smiled.

"No, Ammi! I will miss you, Ammi, sacchi (truly)!" he tried to convince her. Sara chuckled and kissed his cheeks.

"I will miss you too… and don’t forget, your Ammi will always be with you. My prayers will always be with you… no matter where I am," she said, her voice thick with emotion.

"Don’t worry, Sara… he will be okay here… you trust me, right?" Hana asked, and Sara nodded with a smile.

"I trust you… that’s why I’m leaving Momin in your care," she said.

"Don’t worry… he’s like my son. I will take care of him," Hana assured her with a bright smile, wrapping her arms around Momin’s shoulder and hugging him sideways. Sara smiled, feeling slightly relieved.

"Rumaan… he’s never stayed away from us… so if he does anything wrong, please forgive him. Don’t forget my son has a very soft heart," Ali said, looking at Momin.

"You don’t need to tell me… he is my responsibility now," Rumaan said, hugging him.

Ali went to Momin and kissed his head, saying, “Abbu loves you,” before holding Sara’s hand.

Sara kept staring at Momin and the way he and Dua were holding hands. Her heartbeat quickened, but at the same time, she felt this was the right decision. Leaving Momin here was safe.

A single tear slid down her cheek before she turned to leave. Momin saw it and wanted to run after her, but Dua gripped his hand tighter.

"I think I should go… Ammi is sad," he told Dua, feeling guilty.

"No! I won’t let you go," she said stubbornly.

"I’ll come tomorrow," he tried, but Dua shook her head stubbornly, holding his hand tightly. He didn’t have the heart to push her away. He never could, and he knew it.

Momin turned and saw his parents walking out of the house, leaving him here to live his life with his Dua… or someone else?

---

Hana's POV

As I walked out of the washroom in my bathrobe after my shower, I saw Maan combing his hair. He was shirtless.

I smiled and wrapped my arms around him from behind. He stiffened at the sudden touch but then relaxed.

"What happened, Hanu?" he asked. I kissed his shoulder, feeling my eyes burn.

He turned around and encircled his arms around my waist, frowning.

"What happened?" he asked again.

"I love you," I said. Maan smiled, kissing my forehead.

"I love you too," he said.

"What about this sudden confession… and these tears?" he asked, raising his eyebrows and wiping the tiny tears from the corners of my eyes.

"I’m sorry… I haven’t been able to give you enough time in the past few months," I said, feeling guilty. My poor husband had never complained even though I had unintentionally ignored him while spending most of my time on Rafay. I knew he needed me too.

"No need for sorry… you’ve been busy with our children, and I have no complaints," he said, smiling and pulling me closer.

"Do you know how much you’ve changed over these years?" I asked, caressing his jaw.

"Am I?" he asked, frowning. I nodded.

"Yes… you’ve become more mature and understanding… and my love for you has grown even stronger," I said, pecking his lips twice. A wide smile appeared on his lips, with a small smirk.

"Haye Begum… are you in some naughty mood?" he asked, smirking. I bit my lips and nodded, giggling slightly.

"Okay then," he said, crashing his lips on mine while taking off my robe.

---

Rumaan stirred in his sleep as his phone rang. He opened his eyes with difficulty and grabbed the phone from his side table. It was an unknown number. He looked at Hana, who was sleeping in his arms.

"Hello," he said slowly.

"What!" He suddenly sat up, and Hana jolted awake as she felt him jerk.

"What happened?" Hana asked, feeling dread in her stomach seeing his pale, tear-filled face.

"I’m coming," he said, dropping the phone.

"Maan! What happened?" Hana asked, panic rising in her chest.

"Ali and Sara met with an accident… they… they died on the spot," he said, holding his head. Hana gasped, covering her mouth. At the same time, a scream pierced through the house.

"AMMI ABBU!" it was Momin.

"Momin," Hana whispered, tears forming. She started crying, shaking at the thought of the loss of both his friends and parents.

"Hana, please calm down… go take care of Momin… I have to go," Rumaan said in a cracked voice, his tears unstoppable.

Hana nodded and ran toward Momin’s room, where he was staying for the night. She found him sitting on the bed, sweating.

"Ammi, Abbu…" he was mumbling continuously. Hana couldn’t hold back and ran to him, sitting beside him and pulling him into a hug.

"Shh… Momin, what happened?" she asked, soothing his back.

"Hana aunty… I… I saw… Amm… Ammi and Ab… Abbu left me… they left me in the middle of the road," he said, looking up at Hana. Her tears wouldn’t stop.

"Shh… it’s a nightmare," she whispered. She didn’t know what else to say. This boy had seen his parents leave him in a nightmare that was becoming reality.

Yallah, please give him strength, she prayed, holding him tightly.

★★★★