"They will reach by 9.Be sure to not be late.You know how your mom gets if things are not done her way." Zafar Malik said distractedly while going through files after files.Tayyab gave him a sideway glance while sitting on revolving chair of his dad,who was too immersed in his work to notice the look on his son's face.Or maybe he is just not interested.An all too familiar feeling arose in him which he brushed away with the thoughts of managing his schedule.

'Class will end by 4...meaning--'His thoughts got interrupted as he realised something.

"Dad...are they coming too?"He asked slowly and cautiously,knowing the answer well before hand.His dad looked up at him,momentarily forgetting about his work at Tayyab's question.

"Ofcourse they are!And what do you mean 'they'?Its your siblings Tayyab!"He shook his head at his son's incredulous behaviour.Tayyab turned away from his dad's penetrating gaze with a roll of eyes.Before his dad could lecture him further on the 'Devine sanction' that his so-called step siblings were he decided to make a run for it.But before he could leave, his dad's authoritative voice made him stop in his tracks.

"Tayyab..and don't forget about the anniversary party tomorrow.I want you to be on your best behaviour.Am I clear?"He would have liked to tell his dad that he was his son and not his employee,and he doesn't need to address him in that way so he understands his responsibilities.However he knew his dad  too,and Mr. Zafar Malik needs no one to tell him how he need to get things done.

So with an exaggerated sigh which he couldn't help himself,he turned to his dad.

"yes dad.Okay dad."he grinned at him who eyed him doubtfully before turning away with a shake of head.

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

"As far as I know from all the time that I have interviewed him,he hasn't showed any signs of relenting,its funny and absurd at the same time how he thinks he can still get away with all this.I mean its inhumane how a person can still not find any guilt within oneself after all that he did---"

"How long are you going to watch him?"Her thoughts were interrupted as Zaid came and took a seat across her.She paused the video and slammed the laptop shut.Her head was throbbing since she hadn't manage to get any sleep for the past two days,not that it was anything new for her.She walked up to where he was sitting and picked up her coffee mug before slumping on the sofa beside him.

He looked up at her questioningly while she rubbed her temple.

"Are you alright?"He asked with a tilt of head.She dropped her hand at his words and then with a cheeky smile ruffled his hair.

"Oww Ayat!I had spent an hour on this!"He yelled while backing away from her and adjusting his now ruined spikes.Ayat chuckled at his charades but didn't say anything instead leaned forward on the table and picked up the notepad,extending it to Zaid.At her this move he straightened and took over a solemn expression as he read over the paper.Then with a nod he turned to her who was now looking away from him and sipping her coffee deep in thoughts.

"Anything else for me?"At his voice she broke off with whatever she was engaged mentally and turned to him slowly.

"No..I only need you to hack into his security system for now."she nodded to him before continuing.

"How long till you get me the other stuff?"

"Almost done."He said briefly.Ayat nodded to herself and looked away from her 16 years old genius ally.'Ally' and not friend.No.She doesn't need friends.Her thoughts wandered to the first time she met him and with a sudden realisation she turned to him.

"Hows your mom Zaid?"She asked concerned at which he gave a small smile.

"She is good.Wanted to come too but I told her that I am going for work only."He ended with a nod.

"..I will visit.Tell her I will come as soon as possible."she chewed on her lips deep in thought.At the same moment he got up to leave.

"Tell me if you need something okay?"She got up after him and said patting his cheeks.Despite being younger then her by almost a decade,he loomed over her by a few inches.

"Ayat stop doing this.I am not a kid anymore."He turned away sulking but didn't pull away.Ayat smiled up at him softly and then let go.

"Take care Zaid.Okay?"her voice was dripping with worry and care.Zaid nodded at the person whom he held as dear and precious as his mother.The only person besides his mother whom he wouldn't think twice about laying his life on line for.Why not?After all she is his saviour.

"Bye."He turned away and left.Ayat watched his broad back and remembered about the tiny frail person he was when she met him,10 years ago.Ayat still sometimes felt amazed at the fact that they trusted her.Even though according to facts his father was murdered by Ayat's.Yet when Ayat explained to them the truth they didn't bat an eye and accepted her version of story as the holy truth.

Ayat walked out of the lounge and into the balcony.Today the sun was out,so it was less cold.However,what she was about to do would drop someone in the abyss of darkness..forever.

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

"Why are we going before the decided time again?"she asked shifting in the car seat to look at him.He didn't turn to her and kept on driving with a blank look.

"My..relatives.I have to pick someone at the airport.."He changed his sentence and looked at the side view mirror to escape the awkwardness building in him.Ayat stared at him momentarily before sitting back.

"We are here."He said after another 10 minutes drive.

Ayat stepped out before him.She stood stunned at the sight of the glorious mansion.A surge of anger coupled with disgust passed within her as she realised that this mansion dripped with her father's cold blood.As she took in this fact her rage only grew in intensity.

"Ayat?"her thoughts were interrupted by his voice but her anger did not subside.It merely disguised itself.

"Lets go."

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

"But seriously why would you decide to do a thesis on him?"Even though he didn't say the name,yet his face crunched up distastefully.Tayyab glanced bored from Mubashir to Ayat,whose face was plastered with a professional smile.He looked away from her and grabbed a glass of water from the table.

"I didn't have much of a choice sir,just my luck that I got this topic I guess."She explained calmly at which the reporter nodded enthusiastically.

"Well I can't say much on that then.I too still can't separate myself from that incident 10 years ago.I only knew how I interviewed that cold-blooded murderer!"He threw back his head in laughter while Ayat felt nauseous as she recalled watching him ridiculing her dad on the TV as a child.How alone she felt.How bitterly her mother used to cry when Ayat wouldn't be in her sight.

"Excuse me, can I use the washroom?"she stood up urgently at which the two looked at her.

"Ofcourse.Just straight from here and then to the right."Her host instructed and she obliged.

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

"Did you get all the information you wanted?"Tayyab asked once they came back in the car.After leaving there her face had overtook a coldness.He hit up a conversation tired of the quietness in the car.Yet her face remained passive as she blankly stared outside.Although he wanted to nudge her out of her thoughts yet something compelled him not to.So he straightened up and drove to her place.This time he had dropped her infront of her house instead of in the middle of nowhere.When she didn't move even though it had been more then 10 minutes since he had parked outside her house he called out to her.

"Ayat,we are here."he said quietly but it was enough to break her from her thoughts.

"huh?"she turned to him,confusion filling her eyes.He stared at her for a moment before repeating his sentence.She didn't seem to register for a moment what was said to her as she searched around his face.

"Are you okay Ayat?"He leaned forward,worried,but couldn't bring himself to check her head,so that his hand was hanging between them.

"What?Yes.I am okay."She cleared her throat and backed away.Tayyab watched her leave and step into her house before he left.

Ayat slumped down her door as she heard his engine roaring away.She dropped her head in her knees clutching at her hair.

'This headache...'she said to herself but her mind was plagued by the thoughts of today mixed with past.

"I need to sleep."she thought about the medicine cabinet in her room while making way to her bedroom.Just as she had gulped three pills of zolpidem her phone beeped.

"Its done."It was a message from Uncle Tahir and she knew exactly what he meant.Suddenly a wave of calm and relief overtook her as she curled up her feet and slowly stepped into oblivion.

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

"HOW DARE YOU!HOW DARE YOU TO THREATEN ME!Don't forget who gave you everything you have now!!I don't give a damn about your circumstances!!Its your own fault!Deal with your own mess,or else it won't take me much to deal with you.Got it?!"Tayyab walked in his father's study as he heard him screaming at someone.

"Dad,what's wrong?"He walked to him as he slammed the phone on the desk and slumped on the chair defeated.

"It was Mubashir...."He said exhausted as he pulled open the drawer and took out a pills bottle.Tayyab watched his father take the anti-depressant pills and patiently waited for him to continue.

"He called to tell that the police had raided his house...and found drugs."He leaned back on the chair and shut his eyes.

"What?He was involved in this sort of thing?"He asked shocked as he remembered his earlier meeting with him.As a favour requested by Ayat he took her to him,since he knew him through his dad,but Tayyab never knew that he was--

"He says that he was framed,that he doesn't know how they got there." Zafar Malik continued slowly and soon he was calm.Tayyab didn't stay any longer and left the room.

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

"I want to come too."Tayyab looked up,at her this out of blue demand.He didn't have any reason to refuse to her if she wanted to come.Although if he could he would have skipped on the event himself.

"why do you want to come to my dad's anniversary?"he asked unsure as to what ever could interest a sane person in a high-glamour party of the elites.

"I have my reasons."As she put in briefly, Tayyab found himself a reason to attend.

"Everything in this world holds a price.And the price of greed is a bottomless pit of want,which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction."

But no price fathomable by mankind can measure with my yearn for vengeance...