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Anaaya x Hassan.

The moment she stepped inside the house, she realised the chaos that was going on in it.

She saw the uncleaned living room, the busy kitchen and the chit chatter of a few people.

She didn't understand what ten people were doing in her apartment, where her children were and what the hell was going on.

Hassan, on the other hand was still in the car with the driver. She frowned upon seeing the loud noise and she called out Maggie's name, drawing all attention to herself.

It was Hassan's mother who rushed towards Anaaya though, eyes shining.

"Aunty? What's going on?" She questioned, mildly scowling.

"Oh I had some guests over. I thought we could welcome Hassan, you know.."

Anaaya shook her head, sighing.

"And how do you know these people?"

"They live in this complex. You didn't know?"

Ofcourse she knew.

There's Senator Kingsley's mistress with their love child, there's that writer couple who only write erotica fiction, there's the Seth family, who make a living out of reviewing food places and there's David and Jon, the gay couple who own a private company together.

She knew her neighbours. They hardly met but she knew them all, and they definitely knew Hassan.

But this moment is private, not public. Hassan would be seeing his children for the first time in three months, this isn't how I want it to happen.

"Maggie!" She snapped her fingers at the girl who was busy flirting with the boy from Seth family.

She shrugged, coming towards her.

"Maggie! Why didn't you call me? What the hell is this? Is this a party?"

She hissed, not loud enough but firm enough.

Maggie stared at her apologetically.

"She said not to disturb you." She replied.

"Where are the kids?" She questioned the girl who looked at the floor, biting her lip.

"Rania has them upstairs. Why are you acting like this, Anaaya? It's a good thing, my boy is coming home. It should be special."

Anaaya felt like it was the end of her temperament. She could not deal with this.

Ever since Aunty Shagufta had arrived, she had taken ahold of the house, from what the children would eat to what they would wear. Anaaya didn't mind.

She was busy tending to Hassan. But this? This was too much.

"Aunty, I'm bringing your son upstairs in a few minutes and before that, I need all of them gone." She mumbled, but it was audible enough.

"And clean the fucking apartment, Maggie!" She snapped, closing the door loudly and leaving the apartment.

--

She didn't want to do this to her mother in law, she didn't want to claim some sort of ownership over the apartment but this was an important moment, she didn't want it to be spoiled.

She strolled down the three steps and opened the door to the car.

"Langdon, can you please help Hassan upstairs?" She said in low voice, almost whispering.

She didn't want his ego to get hurt, Hassan hated taking help from others. She knew that, so she simply opened the back door of the car and looked at her husband.

"Ready?" She questioned.

"I'm scared." He admitted.

"Good, that means you still have a lot to care for." She replied, smiling.

"I,-" He gulped. She knew he couldn't form sentences too quickly right now, he would, once he started speaking more but right now, he was advised against it.

"I have you. And the kids."

"And your family."

He nodded shakily.

"Come baby, let's go home."

She smiled at him in encouragement as he slowly got out of the car, she held his arm and gradually, the driver held his side. She moved away as they made their way to the elevator.

She entered first, followed by Hassan and Langdon.

"I never told the kids what happened to you. I told them you were sick, nothing more than that." She quietly said.

His breath tightened in his chest and his eyes glistened, but he said nothing, and she didn't want to bombard him with any more memories of the accident.

She gave his shoulder a light squeeze.

It took them time to enter the apartment. With Hassan's limp walk and slower movements, it took them twice the time to reach their floor.

Anaaya wished that they had cleared out the guests. She didn't know how Hassan would even react if he saw that many people.

If only his stupid mother had asked her. She didn't want to sound so bitter in her head but it seemed like Aunty Shagufta was trying to take hold of things that weren't hers.

Anaaya pushed those thoughts back in her head and opened the door.

Maggie stood at a side, her eyes brightening as she finally spotted Hassan. Hassan gave her a nod, he didn't talk to her, but she seemed happy anyway.

Rania rushed to embrace Hassan, eyes shedding tears. She had visited him quite often in the hospital but nothing compared to this. This feeling of watching him stand on his feet with eyes wide open.

Aunty Shagufta did the same. She hugged her son, not too tight but her embrace screamed how protective she felt in that moment.

Uncle Shafqat did the same. He hugged Anaaya too, telling her that her prayers had been heard.

It wasn't until they walked to the living room that Hassan's eyes wandered all around.

He looked in the kitchen, his blue coffee mug wasn't near the coffee machine, he looked at the neatly arranged chairs of the dining table, where his kids weren't sitting.

He looked at his wife, who had eyebags under her eyes but a soft smile was being played on her lips.

That tired but gentle smile, it pierced his heart.

If she got to know why the accident really happened, she would blame herself for it.

She really would.

So Hassan would keep it a secret, no matter what.

He remembered getting into that car with a heart so heavy, that it made him feel lifeless.

He remembered the way he had tried to stay strong in front of her but had totally been affected in the same way as her.

Not before. He wanted the baby, he did. But Anaaya didn't. And he understood that. He understood her.

But the doctor had told him that she couldn't conceive again, her uterus had gotten damaged during the abortion process.

That upset him. He had four happy and healthy kids, he was glad, he was okay with that.

More than okay.

But the thought of never, ever, that was scary.

So he drove as fast as he could, to take his mind off things, to take his mind off Anaaya.

But that didn't take his mind off it all. Infact, he had been thinking so much about his wife getting an abortion, not being able to have another baby again, that he had not even detected a car coming at him.

His mind was scattered with all these thoughts when Anaaya leaned down.

"Talk to your parents," She whispered in his ear. He shook his head at her, he wasn't ready. He didn't think he was.

"Please, Hassan. What if Abaan refused to talk to you? How would you feel? Talk to them."

She pleaded.

She was right.

Everything that had happened to him, his parents were devastated. The least he could do to relieve them of their worry was talk.

"Hassan, do you need anything?" His mother questioned, sniffing away the tears.

Hassan shook his head.

"No, mama. Come here." His mother came around again, engulfing him in her arms.

"That's all I've wanted to hear since the day I came here." She cried.

Anaaya decided to give them a moment. She stood up and decided to walk upstairs.

She had to see the kids and then bring them down.

Aira was fast asleep in her nursery so she didn't bother to wake her up. The twins were watching TV and Abaan was staring at his fishes.

She went and sat down on their bed.

"Boys, listen." She called them.

Zayaan, being a mama's boy had already ran towards her, even before she had called them all.

He settled himself on her lap.

Rohaan sat on her side and Abaan just stood in front of her.

She kissed the top of Zayaan's head who snuggled close to her.

"Abaan, guess who is home?" She hinted, playfully.

He shrugged.

"Your baba is waiting for you downstairs." The way that his face lit up upon hearing those words, was enough to lighten the burden in her heart.

He ran towards the stairs.

Anaaya stood up,

"Careful! Abaan, wait!" But he didn't.

Her child was almost as restless as her. He sprinted across the room and almost fell at the stairs but carried on.

Anaaya clicked her tongue at his hurry. Zayaan, who was in the mood to be held by her, simply whined as she tried to put him down.

She sighed. Maybe, it was just one of those days.

She walked down the steps, holding Rohaan's hands while the other twin wrapped himself around her.

She smiled as she saw Abaan, now, slowly approaching his father. Anaaya saw the way Hassan turned around to look at his son, and the way his face gave out a comforting smile.

But Abaan's eyes weren't excited anymore, they were scared.

Of course.

He hadn't seen his father in three months, neither had he ever seen him with bruises on his face, bruises that we're fading but bruises nonetheless.

His father's hair wasn't the same as before, either. It was growing, but in different directions.

His father wasn't in a suit, he was in a shirt and he had several bandages.

His father wasn't as muscular as before.

He was an observant kid and so he was noticing everything.

He still took steady steps towards him.

"Hi buddy." Hassan greeted shakily.

It felt awkward.

Abaan turned his head and looked at his mother, pouting.

She walked towards them and kneeled on Abaan's level. Zayaan, still stuck in her arms.

"What's wrong love?" She questioned her son.

"Baba looks sad." He replied.

He didn't say injured, weak, hurt, different. He said sad.

"He is sad because he missed you. I told you he was sick, hmm? Go, give him a hug."

Abaan nodded and Hassan gave him another encouraging smile.

"Hi baba." Abaan greeted him this time.

"You didn't bring my fishes." He continued as he moved forward and hugged him.

Hassan exhaled a sigh of relief, followed by a hiss as his son hugged him too tight.

"Careful, Abaan." She tried to pull him out of his grasp but the duo didn't let go.

So she waited.

Finally, Hassan let go of him. And Anaaya pushed Rohaan forward.

If Abaan was observant, Rohaan was a curious cat. He had questions, too many questions.

He frowned at his father.

"What?"

He pointed at Hassan's forehead, questioning what had happened.

Before Hassan could respond, Anaaya jumped in.

"It's nothing, baby. You remember how superman gets hurt sometimes?"

Rohaan nodded, attentively.

"Well, baba also got hurt the same way."

Abaan, who was listening to the conversation, jumped in.

"But superman quickly heals too." He interjected.

"Baba will too." She said softly.

"How?" Rohaan asked, frowning.

Leave it to her kids for being too curious.

"Because magic, stupid." Abaan responded.

And Hassan laughed. He actually laughed. Anaaya had expected him to get upset at the conversation, because he was hurt.

But he laughed as his boy called his other boy stupid.

"Really mama?" Rohaan questioned his mother, eyes wide as he leaned against his father.

"Really." She replied.

Hassan raised an eye at her and she shook her head at him.

"I think we can all use a little bit of magic."

And in that moment, their life seemed to be perfect again.

But it wasn't.

It had changed.

She just didn't know how much.

---

Thoughts?