© All copyrights belong to StarsAndMoon1447 on Wattpad

*

**BONUS CHAPTER**

Hooriya

Someone called Rebecca Aunty from the shelter.

Rebecca Aunty called Dado.

Dado called Mama.

Mama told Papa.

And suddenly, Haya and I were being treated like we'd actually been run over.

When my parents arrived, my twin sister and I were seated in the common area, being given glasses of water. 

Haya and I stood at the same time and both of us rushed to Papa. He wrapped his arms around us, holding us tightly as he kissed the tops of our heads. "You two okay?"

"Hoor! Haya!" Mama ran her hands down the backs of her heads. 

Is it a universal thing, but no matter how much you grow up, and even if you are perfectly fine after an incident, the moment you feel your mother's sympathetic hand, it makes you want to cry and snuggle up in her arms. Both me and Haya turned and hugged Mama now, and I did shed tears as we held onto her. 

I had bitten my tongue and my lip hard enough to cause bleeding, but fortunately I hadn't cracked a tooth. Haya had scraped her elbow, and there was a pain in her arm as she fell on it, but Rebecca Aunty had called paramedics, and no major damage had been done.

But ultimately, it was Mama who asked the question that she shouldn't have had to ask: "Hoor, did you tell Farhaan?"

I moved away from her, shaking my head sheepishly. "We're both fine, Mama. He's busy and..."

She sighed. "Call him and let him know before he finds out from somewhere else."

I looked up at Papa, who nodded. Stepping away from my family, I began to leave the room, and right out there in the hallway, I almost walked into Tahira.

"Are you okay?" She asked me, worriedly.

"I'm fine." 

"Hooriya, listen; I appreciate that you guys are doing so much for me, but maybe you shouldn't." She looked hesitant. "He's a bad tempered man, and he's capable of anything."

That snapped something inside me. "He's bad-tempered so what? We let him get away with illegal stuff?" I paused. "You think he did this?" 

"I don't know. I've just been very paranoid since I've run away from home. I feel like he'll come after me." Tahira whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

I hadn't told her about how he had come to our home, and had yelled at my mother before being shoved out by Papa and Rohaan. I didn't want her to live in fear. But maybe unknowingly she had made a good point. What if her stepfather had almost run me over? If it hadn't been for Haya, I would have been...

Suddenly, an urge need to throw up made me turn and run down the hall towards the bathroom. But I didn't throw up, just gagged a little. I almost died.

"Hoor?" My mother followed me. "Are you okay?" 

I turned to look at her with my eyes filled with tears. "I almost died, Mama."

"Meri bachi." She pulled me into her arms and held me tightly, letting me cry against her shoulder.

*

"Hey, I'm sending you a location. Please get here as soon as possible." I left Farhaan a voicemail message.

After seeing the CCTV footage from the shelter, Papa had contacted the police, and so we were all still here.

"I'm going to call Rohaan and Arsalan and let them know too." Mama took her phone out of her purse.

Haya and I exchanged a look. Arsal was going to come here and will come face-to-face with Tahira.

Oh for God's sake, this is not a dramatic TV show. Let it happen. I sent the location to my husband and came back over to sit beside Haya.

My phone started ringing and I looked down to see Farhaan's name on the screen. Excusing myself, I left the room and answered the phone. "Assalam Alaikum."

"Walaikum Assalam. What's wrong, Hoor? All okay?" 

"Well, something happened..." I paced the main lobby of the shelter home. "I narrowly avoided being hit and run by the car, but I'm okay because Haya saved me." 

There was a brief silence at the other end, and I thought that the call had disconnected. "Hello?"

"Are you okay?" He finally spoke, the concern in his voice obvious. "Haya okay?"

"We're both fine. Alhumdulillah."

"I'm on my way..." He paused. "Might take a while though since the boss took the car." There was a hint of amusement in his voice, yet I could tell that he was struggling to remain calm.

"Farhaan, I'm fine. Just get here as soon as you can, please."

"I'm coming, Hooriya." 

*

Rohaan

I was trying my best to remain calm, but I was not sure of what was happening with my family. First a random twat came to our house and yelled at Mama, and now my sisters...

Arsal and I arrived at the shelter home, both worried and anxious about our sisters.

We got out of the car and crossed the road to head to the shelter.

"I hope they aren't seriously hurt." Arsalan muttered.

"I'm going to rip apart whoever did this." I growled out as we strode inside. My family was in the common area, along with Rebecca Aunty and a couple of police officers. "What happened? Hoor? Haya?" 

The twin sisters looked at me, and I felt a deep sense of relief when I saw that they looked okay overall.

"Thank God you two are okay!" Arsal voiced my relief. "How did this happen?" 

The twins exchanged a glance. 

"Arsal." Papa spoke to my brother, approaching him. "The car that almost ran Hoor and Haya over belongs to the stepfather of Tahira Anwar."

Arsal's face turned pale and his eyes widened. "W-What?" 

"Wait..." I held up both hands. "Are you saying that first that b*****d came to our house and yelled at our mother, and now he tried to run my sisters over, simply because he couldn't get over a bloody girl?" I accusingly pointed a finger in Arsal's direction.

"What are you saying? How is this my fault?" Arsal asked me quietly.

"Bloody moping around the house like a bloody Romeo. Now I get it." I snapped at him. "You probably even know where the girl is." 

"Rohaan." Papa's voice was full of warning. "That's enough." 

"IF I KNEW WHERE SHE WAS, WHY WOULD I BE MOPING AROUND THE BLOODY HOUSE?" Arsalan shouted, his weeks of frustration coming out.

Everyone stared at him in disbelief, including me. This wasn't the sweet and reserved Arsalan that we all knew. This was a completely different man.

"Arsu, Ro, please don't do this guys. This is a shelter, not a boxing ring." Haya said. 

"You can go cry over Juliet." I hissed into my brother's face. "With no concern about how your lovestruck behaviour is impacting our family."

"Rohaan, that's enough!" Mama didn't raise her voice, but her tone meant business.  "Tahira is right here, and I don't want any word or action of my children to offend her or hurt her in any way. She's been through enough!"

"What?" Arsalan looked at her shocked. "She's here?" 

I scoffed in disbelief.

"I care about her. What's your problem?" Arsalan seemed to have had enough.

"Is she more important than family?" I asked.

Papa placed a hand on my back. "Come outside with me, Rohaan." When I didn't move, he spoke in a stricter now, "Now."

I begrudgingly followed him out, but not before tossing a glare in my brother's direction. I was fuming, but I didn't say another word until we were outside. "It's not fair, Dad. His actions led to this."

"He was worried about a friend, and his friend is in trouble. Neither of them is responsible for this situation, Rohaan." 

"He is giving her priority over family."

"That's not what he's doing, Ro." He placed a hand on my back again. "Your mother and I have raised you all to have compassion and empathy towards others. He's not wrong for doing so. Sometimes we face difficulties and hardships when doing the right thing, but that should not put us off from doing what's right."

"That man could have attacked Mama had she been home alone! Hoor and Haya could have seriously gotten hurt!" 

"Tell me one thing, Ro. Will Arsu ever hurt your mother intentionally?" He asked.

I didn't reply, but I knew he was right.

"Arsu wouldn't even think about doing anything that would put any of us at risk, so it's not really fair to blame him, is it?" 

"I suppose."

"Don't do that. Don't let such thoughts create rifts between you and your brother." He slapped my back. "Always remember that for the future; don't let silly issues or negative thoughts tear you away from your siblings. Warna meri aur Anabia ki saari mehnat paani main chali jaayegi." He told her.

*"Otherwise all of mine and Anabia's hard work will go to waste."

"Relax, Dad. You know our arguments and issues don't last long." 

He smiled, nodding. "He's your kid brother. Be more understanding towards him. He should know that he can count on you in any situation, rather than fearing your reaction each time."

"You're right."

"Did you actually say that? Can you repeat that so that I can record it?" He grinned.

"Come on, Dad. I'm not as rebellious as you make me out to be."

"Yeah, you're much worse than that." He teased.

*

Hooriya

"Hoor!"

I gasped as my face was suddenly being pressed against a hard chest, with strong arms wrapping around me, holding me in a tight grip. "Farhaan, I'm okay."

He stepped back but his hands remained on my shoulders. His gaze on me almost made me swoon, but then I remembered that we were only a few feet away from my parents and siblings, as well as Rebecca Aunty and some police officers.

Lately, with all the work he had to do regarding the B&B, and because of the talks of the revival of the original Rose Luxe, I barely had a chance to speak to him properly. I missed him in a strange way, but I didn't want to say it at the risk of sounding immature.

"Rebecca Khalla!" A voice made us turn.

*

Haya

I was stunned to see Aariz Abdullah walk into the common room, concern all over your face.

"Are you okay?" He asked his aunt. "I heard about the police incident near the shelter."

"Oh, don't worry, dear. I wasn't involved. The sweet granddaughters of Nina's were." Rebecca Aunty gestured in my direction.

Aariz turned to look and his eyebrows raised a little as he saw me.

I averted my gaze, my cheeks turning red. My loud and confident side was restricted to family... it certainly disappeared in front of handsome doctors.

Handsome doctors? For goodness' sake, Haya! Have some Haya!

"Rehan Bhai, Anabia Bhabi." Rebecca Aunty called out to my parents. "Please meet my nephew, Aariz Abdullah. Aariz, this is Nina's elder son Rehan Tariq and his wife Anabia." 

Aariz greeted my parents and shook Papa's hand.  

God knows from where Hoor appeared beside me, whispering. "He's meeting the parents. Big moment."

I glared at her. "Did you get a concussion during the fall?" 

"Do you think it'll be easy for Papa to accept his second daughter's marriage so soon?" Hoor pretended to look thoughtful.

"Oh put the breaks on Hoor Express." I pinched her arm.

"Oww." She lightly slapped my aching arm.

"Ouch." I rubbed my arm, tossing her another glare.

"Epic." Rohaan must have overheard our interaction, or at least part of it. "Alright, kiddies, time for a lunch break. Would you two like milk and cookies or slices of apple?" 

Hoor and I both pinched his arms simultaneously now, and he burst out laughing loud enough to gain attention.

I glanced around as I felt a significant absence. "Where's Arsal?" 

*

Arsalan

With the permission of Rebecca Aunty (and my parents), I headed towards the back of the shelter. I felt nervous, almost scared.

But when I stepped out into the back garden, I saw her sitting on a bench, staring out at the garden. Her hair was tied back and she had dark circles under her eyes. She wore jeans and a plain long dark pink full-sleeved shirt.

She's alive. A relieved thought made me almost collapsed onto the ground, but I forced myself forward. "Tahira?" 

She slowly looked up, and there was not a hint of surprise or shock on her face. She had been expecting this meeting, obviously. "Aslan."

Hesitatingly, I sat on the bench, but kept a large distance between us. "Where have you been?" 

She looked at me with a sad smile. "You seem different, Aslan."

"How?" I decided to play along and let her take charge of the conversation. But I wasn't going to ignore the questions forever. I wanted her to know that I was here to hear her, to be supportive of her.

She shrugged.

A heavy silence hung between us for a few moments before I broke it. "I have been worried sick about you."

Again she looked at me. "You don't need to be. I came in this world alone, and I will fight this world alone. But I did want to thank you, Aslan." 

"Me? For what?" 

"You were there when nobody else was."

I swallowed hard. "I don't think I was really truly there for you, Tahira. Not when you needed me the most."

"Do you know why I call you Aslan?" 

"Because it's similar to my actual name, and because you want me to be brave enough to face the world?" 

She smiled, and the action sent my heart fluttering. "In a world where everyone is concerned about themselves, people are actually afraid to hold out a hand to support another. There's a risk of the other taking offence, and then there's also the fact that nobody is willing to deal with someone else's problem. Everyone just brushes it off as 'it's not my business', and move on with  their lives. You didn't do that. You had that courage to step forward and offer support. For me, you are already like a lion. Plus, the name is close to your name, so it worked out well."

"Your thinking is very deep, Tahira. But I'm not brave. I just acted out of humanity."

"You know, the roar of one lion is more powerful than the baahs of a handful of sheep. Everyone around me makes the noise of those sheep, just following everyone else in the daily routine. But your whispered reassurances, your kind words were like that one powerful roar of a lion for me." A tear slid down her cheek. "It quietened the unnecessary noise around me."

"Then why did you leave? You should have stayed. I... I would have supported you."

"I thought my mother was the only one I had, so I got influenced by her emotional blackmailing. But then I realised that my life is important too. So I left. I came here to look for the one person who had supported me. I wanted to show my gratitude."

"You don't ever need to thank me." I placed my hand over hers, and briefly, we lost ourselves in each other's gazes. But then I felt her discreetly slide her hand out from underneath mine, and I jumped back, stuttering out apologies. What the hell is wrong with you, Arsalan? Don't cross your limits! Don't make her think that you're like one of those guys who take advantage of a situation!

"You deserve bliss. Not the hell that they gave you."

"Your family suffered because of me, Aslan. I'm so sorry." She sobbed quietly.

"Don't worry. My family is kind and compassionate. We'll all take good care of you."

With what relationship? With what right? My inner voice taunted me. You or your family has no duty towards this girl.

But the longer I sat in silence with her, the more I understood why my parents had instantly shot down the idea of my marriage to her. Setting aside my intense feelings for her, what would happen if we got married? Neither of us had a job- I just had an unpaid internship, and I was still a student? Will we live off my parents until we both 'grew up' financially? 

Idealistically thinking, I knew she'd fit in well with my family, and everyone was going to take care of her. But the world we create in our heads is often very different than the real world, and not often in a pleasant way.

"I think our elders will make the right decision." I spoke out. "I know my family, and I know that they'll do everything to ensure your safety."

And as she turned to look at me this time, she had a small but genuine smile on her face, and there was a glimpse of hope in her eyes.

*

Rehan

"I can almost hear my parents' opinion on this." I chuckled under my breath. "Tainu paintees saal di umar te vaia da suja siga, te tere puttar noun bees saal pure houn to pehle hi bechaini shuru."

*"You considered marriage at the age of thirty-five, and your son is getting restless for it before even turning twenty."

"What do we do, Rehan?" Anya asked, wearily.

We were back home now, and were sitting in the living area of our Master bedroom suite.

"He's definitely not getting married right now."

"He's in love."

"Yeah, I sense that too, for a change." I grinned teasingly at her.

"Maybe because you have experienced being in love?" She placed her fingertips lightly over my cheek.

"Yeah, it's not easy being in love at times." I admitted, sitting back on the sofa. "But Tahira is safe at the shelter for now. And I'm gonna make sure that the b*****d stepfather of his never gets out free."

"How? The law of this country is too soft."

"I didn't just mean the law. If the law frees him, I still won't spare him." My jaw clenched as I thought about how we could have lost one or both of our daughters today. 

"I love how protective you are." She lay down with her head on my lap, and I ran my fingers through her hair.

"Nobody messes with my family, Anya." 

"I'm just worried about the poor girl. I have been hurt by people close to me, so I can understand her pain." She whispered.

And as my fingers kept caressing her head, she fell asleep.

I could understand how my youngest child was feeling right now. But marriage was not an option right now. So what else could we do to ease Arsal's worries? To reassure him that we'd do our best to take care of Tahira?

*

I had barely slept thinking about Arsal's worries. Kids sometimes had no idea how much their worries and problems could impact their parents. I had still been awake when Anya had woken up for Fajr prayer, and I'd slept long after the sun had risen.

And then Anya unwittingly dropped another bombshell on me over breakfast. "You know, Rehan... yesterday I felt that Rebecca had something in mind in regards to Aariz and Haya."

I almost choked on my coffee as I looked up at her. "What?" 

She shrugged. "The way she kept glimpsing between Haya and Aariz, despite the situation. And the way she was introducing us to him, it was a gut feeling."

I sighed. "Anya, why don't you open a matchmaking service?" 

"Well, if I'm being fair, it wasn't just a hint from Rebecca. I don't particularly mind that idea either."

I cleared my throat. "You know that we're in the middle of a situation right now, right?"

"Yes, and we're working on resolving the situation. A woman can multitask, you know, and that's what I am doing."

"Okay, you know what? I'm going to go and get more sleep because clearly sleep is making me imagine weird scenarios." I stood up. "It's too early for Haya."

"Haya is the same age as Hoor, and Hoor is already married!" She called out after me.

"If I'm not up in an hour, wake me up, please." I brushed aside her words as I headed towards the stairs. 

Great. Wasn't Arsal's intention of marriage enough that now Anya had shoved the idea of Haya's marriage into my mind?

I silently groaned. Why can't we go back to the days when the twins were newborn?

*

I made a promise to write another chapter before morning, and I kept it.

But unfortunately no updates for 5/6 days due to my work schedule.

Thoughts and comments?

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