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**UNCONDITIONALLY SPECIAL**

Anabia Rehan

AROUND TWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

"When is the baby due?" The dreaded question was directed at me by a passenger.

And me, feeling extra sarcastic during my second pregnancy, had to reply, "What? I'm not pregnant!" I even acted like I was offended.

The blush that crept up the lady's cheeks almost made me giggle.

After my shift, I headed into the office to grab my things from my locker.

"All good, Anabia?" My long-term colleague Raj asked as I entered the staff room. He was in the middle of his shift, still doing full time hours.

I had changed to part-time hours ever since I'd realised that this pregnancy was harder than my first one with Hoor and Haya. "Yes, can't wait to get home."

"Ahh...home. A place I only see in dreams." He grinned as he put on his yellow hi-vis jacket. "I am going to the ramp. Apparently short of staff there so I need to overlook things on our Singapore arrival."

"Good luck. I don't envy you." I smiled. As he headed out, I opened my locker door and something fell to the ground. I groaned. Being in my seventh month, it wasn't easy to bend down...almost impossible.

"Let me help you." A check-in agent had entered the staff room and had seen my dilemma. She reached down and picked up...a doll that was barely bigger than the size of my palm. She raised both eyebrows at me.

"My daughter gave this to me." I explained. "In case I get bored at work." Haya's sweet gesture made me smile.

The woman laughed. "Aww, so cute. How old is she?"

"Three." 

"Aww, the cute yet keeps-you-on-the-edge stage." 

"Very perfectly described." I laughed as well. I slipped the doll into my purse and locked my locker. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"See you."

I headed out, my legs aching. Although I tended to sit in my office for most of the shift, I still had to move around during check-in. It wasn't an easy task and sometimes  I wondered how pregnancy had been easier for me with twins than with a single baby?

My phone rang and I rummaged through my purse as I walked. "Assalam Alaikum."

"Walaikum Assalam. I'm outside. Come." Rehan's voice came through, and in the background, I heard the giggling and chatter of my twin daughters.

Although I'd told my husband that I wanted to drive until I was no longer able to, there were some days I took him up on the offer of picking me up and/or dropping me off. He had been working from home more lately to match my working hours, specifically for childcare. Sometimes we left the twins with my in-laws, sometimes with Mama, but we refused to leave them in the care of strangers, which was why our schedules had to be adjusted for them. "Coming."

I was starting to see my dream of having a big family become real, Alhumdulillah. With a third baby on the way, I was actually looking forward to the chaos of having my toddler daughters and a newborn baby- although I was simultaneously dreading the fatigue and lack of sleep.

I'd barely gotten into the front passenger seat of the car beside Rehan when the twins' chatter started from their car seats in the back.

"Mama, do you know what happened?"

"Mama, I saw a butterby!" 

"Butterly." Hoor corrected her twin. "Mama! Mama, you know, my dolly lost her shoe." 

"Mama, Nano gave me a cookie." 

I glanced at Rehan, a small smile on my face. He looked back at me with an adoring smile of his own. "I'm guessing I missed a lot?" 

He shrugged. "They discovered a whole world."

I sat back on my seat, placing a hand over my stomach. I couldn't wait to have a nice bath and change into my loose and comfortable clothes. While my maternity uniform wasn't tight, it still restricted me in a way. Immediately, I unravelled my braid and let my hair fall in waves around my face. 

"Why don't you start your maternity leave early?" 

"I'm gonna be at home for over a year, so I'm gonna enjoy the remainder of my working days while I can." 

"Think about it." He grinned. "My daughters are more chaotic than a flight full of passengers, Ma Sha Allah."

"Who do you think they inherited their chaotic behaviour from?" 

"Saalay sahab."

I couldn't help laughing at that. I couldn't really deny that. While their Yasin Chachu was like a calm lake by the mountains, their Saim Mamu was like a tempestuous sea.

*

Our home was like the castle of Hooriya and Haya. Their things were in every room of the house, ranging from their small sandals that rested besides Rehan's shoes in the cupboard in the foyer, to their colourful books that now brightened up our bookshelves. 

Their room, still shared, was exactly the kind of room that I would have loved as a child. The walls were off-white with pink roses with green leaves painted on the wall by their beds. The white wood framed beds had tea-pink canopy curtains, befitting two princesses. Bars could be raised at the side of the beds so that the twins didn't fall off in their sleep. Between their bed was a white table with drawers and storage space for their toys. On it were identical lamps and a night light that projected pink stars over the room. On the opposite side from their beds was a desk and a bookshelf that contained mainly Hoor's princess books.

It was obvious to everyone around us that the twins were Rehan's weaknesses and he had done everything to give his daughters the life of beloved princesses.

My mother-in-law, Mum, often teased him about how his son(s) would be treated.

"How did work go?" Rehan asked as we finally retired to our room for the night, with the twins now fast asleep.

I lay on my side after my much yearned for bath. With pink silk maternity trousers-shirt set, I was finally relaxed and ready to get into my pre-bed reading mode. "It was fine. But I get seriously exhausted walking around."

He was sitting at his desk, working on his laptop and he glanced at me over his shoulder. "You know what I'd suggest."

"Not yet, Rehan. I want to continue work as long as I can. It's hard, but I'll manage." 

He continued working, and I grabbed a novel and opened up the page where my bookmark was placed. The bookmark itself was one designed by Hoor and Haya when they had spent an afternoon with their Yasin Chachu. He had asked them to design one for me and one for Rehan. It was basically just long rectangular rigid cream-coloured paper with multicoloured scribbles using their colouring pencils.

A few minutes of reading later, my mind got distracted. "Anything else on the detecive?"

"Anya, I told you. I'm done with the detective."

"But I'm not! You need to keep writing about him in my lifetime."

He sighed. "Anya." 

"I'm pregnant with your third child! You can't refuse me!"

Suddenly, we heard the girls screaming. I almost got a heart attack with fright, and Rehan jumped up and ran for the door. I followed as fast as I could in my condition. By the time I reached their room, the two daughters of ours were in their father's arms, sobbing.

"What happened?!" I asked, my voice rising with panic.

Rehan their foreheads one at a time. "There were some cats screeching outside. The twins got scared."

"Ya Allah!" I clutched my belly in relief. For a few seconds, I'd thought that the panic and terror would have made me go into early labour.

"Sleep in your room, Papa." Hoor muttered softly, clinging on tightly to her father. "With you and Mama."

I walked closer, and although Hooriya tried to reach out to me, I couldn't pick her up. So I stepped up close and sort of held onto them, enveloping them in a hug between me and their father. 

"Have you two brushed your teeth?" I asked.

"Yes!" Both opened their mouth and gritted their teeth together to show us how clean and white they looked.

Rehan looked at me and I smiled. "Of course you two can come with us."

And so, Hooriya and Haya snuggled up between me and their father on our bed, listening intently to the story he was reading for them until their eyes started to drift shut. Soon, the twin sisters fell asleep, with Haya clutching onto Hoor's sleeve.

Rehan lifted up Haya's hand and kissed it softly. "Sweet dreams, my beautiful princesses."

"Well now I need to be read a detective story." I muttered sleepily. "You owe me. You can't discriminate between your girls." 

"Of course I can. These are my daughters, and they have me wrapped around their little fingers. Sorry, Anya, when a man has daughters, they become his priority." He had meant it lightly. I knew very well that his love for me was beyond words- and that's a lot to say for an author.

But even as I closed my eyes, pretending to be drifting off, a soft ache started to bother me, in the deepest and darkest corners of my heart. It made me yearn for a father who had never really been a proper father. Yes, in my early years he was still expressive, but it was more in a way that an uncle was towards his biological niece, rather than a true affectionate father. I don't ever recall experiencing the unconditional affection that my husband showed towards our daughters, from my own father.

I turned onto my back, continuing the act of sleepiness. I made a silent prayer to Allah that my daughters always received that fatherly love that I had severely lacked. No daughter deserved to feel the heartache that I had felt from my own father, and I certainly wouldn't wish that on my daughters. A tear ran down over my nose and fell onto my pillow.

Suddenly, I felt Rehan's hand on the back of my head, softly stroking my hair as he whispered, "You'll always be my priority, Anya, no matter what. If the twins are my heart and soul, how can you not be my priority considering that you gave them to me?"

*

It was a few days later, on a bright Saturday morning, when I stepped out of my bedroom after my morning routine and heard some sounds from the kitchen. I frowned initially as I walked down the stairs, but the sounds of the twins' giggles made me exhale deeply.

I entered the kitchen and saw the naughty twins already wide away. Haya stood on a stool, pouring water from a plastic jug into mugs, while Hoor stood beside her, giggling with her small hand over her mouth.

"What are you two doing?" I asked.

They both looked at me, wide-eyed. 

"We were making tea." Haya replied innocently. 

"Hoor, Haya, how many times I have told you two not to come down the stairs by yourselves?" I said, exasperated. I was getting more and more frustrated as I edged towards my eighth month. 

My belly seemed to not stop expanding, threatening almost each and every garment that I wore. My feet were swollen, making walking difficult, even in my flat shoes. All I wanted to do was to hibernate until the baby was born. Unfortunately, all this meant that I wasn't being very patient towards the twins. I looked at the mug that Haya was now holding and a sudden panic constricted my chest. "Put that down, Haya!" 

My voice was loud and Haya was only three which meant that she got startled and the mug slipped from her fingers and fell onto the ground as I feared, shattering immediately. Hoor backed away with a little squeal.

"Oh my God!" I gasped out, walking forward to immediately attempt to move my daughters away from the fragments of the shattered mug.

And naturally, both of them started crying.

'Surely this is happening because of how much Saim and I troubled Mama.' I couldn't help thinking to myself. "Hoor, step back." I held out my arm, gesturing her to back away. She slowly did, sobbing with tears running down her cheeks. Holding out my arms towards Haya, I said, "Come here, Haya." I knew that I shouldn't be lifting her up, but right now it was my safest option because there were pieces of mug shattered on the ground all around the stool. 

Haya jumped into my arms, making me gasp. 

"What happened?" Rehan's alarmed voice made me turn. He saw Haya in my arms and immediately strode over, taking her from me.

"When we tell you not to do something, you shouldn't do it!" Irritation flashed through me like lightening in a stormy sky. My back was aching lightly, and for some reason my unborn child had gotten restless as well.

Hoor wrapped an arm around her father's leg, staring up at me with a pout, while Haya buried her face against his neck. Typical daddy's girls!

'Yeah, like you'd know anything about that!' My inner sarcastic voice taunted me.

"I'll get this cleaned up." Rehan told me in his usual calm voice, probably noticing that I was on the verge of snapping. "Hooriya, Haya, I'm going to leave you in the living room. Stay in there, okay?" He reached down and picked Hoor up in his other arm and carried our daughters out. 

I leaned against the counter groaning weakly, with my arm resting on my stomach.

Rehan returned a few minutes later. "You okay?" 

I sighed. "These two always have me on edge. I'm always scared for their safety."

"They're three, Anya. It's their age to run around and be cheeky."

"You're always defending them, no matter what!"

"What do you want me to do? Punish them for being kids?" His voice rose a little. 

In the last few weeks, this had become common. I got irritated, and sometimes so did he. He usually only got irritated when I was being unreasonable or unfair towards the girls. 

And, I'm not denying it, I knew I was being unfair. But this constant fatigue and having to run around after them was getting too much for me.

"You know what? I'll drive them to my parents' today. They can spend the day with Mum and Dad. You can get a break." Once again he was calm, having successfully composed himself.

I bent my head, closing my eyes. I felt like a terrible mother for being tempted by the idea. "Yes, please." 

Mum and Dad, as well as Mama and Kamran Uncle, always took care of the twins happily. Mama often said that she got tired now, chasing after them, yet she continued anyway. She absolutely loved being a grandmother and even if she got tired, she'd do anything the twins asked her to. Recently, she had gotten a busier while helping out with Shayaan, a.k.a. our bunny, but each time the twins came around, my mother's face lit up with pure delight. Ma Sha Allah.

"Anya." Rehan placed his hands on my shoulders.

I leaned against him, finding strength in him. 

"Look, I know it's not easy for you, and that I can't truly understand it." He wrapped his arms around me. "But the twins are just three. They get startled and scared. I can have a punching bag installed for you, if you start to feel annoyed, but please try to remain calm in front of them."

I looked up at him, and despite my exhausted and swollen body, I couldn't help smiling. "Are you here to represent them as their lawyer?"

"It's my job."

"I know. I always tell myself to remain calm in front of the girls, but..." 

He pulled me close to embrace me again, resting his chin on top of my head. "Take a break today. The girls love it at my parents' house. Maybe Yas is around too."

And so, we got the girls ready to go. Hooriya wore a maroon pinafore dress with a Minnie Mouse print t-shirt underneath. Haya wore a dark pink shirt with a bird in light pink, a flower with dark pink petals and a light pink centre and a rainbow in the same shades printed over the front, with light pink leggings that matched the designs on the front. Both had their small backpacks with the 'necessities': colouring books, colour pencils, a nappy in case of absolute emergencies, and Hoor had her favourite Beauty and the Beast picture book.

Each twin held onto their father's hand as they walked to the car. My heart warmed seeing them. Their bond was beautiful, Ma Sha Allah. "May Allah protect them from evil eyes. Ameen." I whispered.

"I'm going to head straight to work from there." Rehan told me as I approached the car. "Let me know if you need anything." He leaned down to kiss me discreetly, while brushing a hand over my stomach.

"I'm so sorry I was so harsh to them." I glanced towards my daughters, who were now sitting in their car seats, ready to be strapped in.

"I know you were just worried about them, Anya. They could have gotten hurt." He also looked at them, and the tenderness I saw in his eyes made me automatically smile.

"They are your whole world, huh?" 

"Much more than that." He replied, glancing back at me. "Thank you for them." He placed a hand over my stomach again. "And for this one too."

*

PRESENT

The sound of the rain was heard clearly in the silence of the dark house.

I sat in the living room, flipping through photo albums. My heart had been feeling overwhelmed since Haya's marriage was considered. When Hoor was married, we still had some comfort knowing that we'd still have Haya with us. I had not accepted for her marriage to be discussed so soon. I yearned for the days when my kids were still young. When my daughters were completely dependant on us.

"Mama?" 

I looked up, wiping away my stray tears with the back of my hand. "What are you doing up so late, Arsal?" 

Arsal wore a black t-shirt with the words 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' from Harry Potter printed over in golden letters at the front, along with matching trousers. He came and sat down beside me, glancing at the photo album on my lap. "Are you sad that Haya Appi is going to get married soon?" 

I laughed. "Sad? No, jaan. It's not sadness. It's a bittersweet feeling. We parents want the best for our kids; all the happiness in the world. But we miss the old days when..." My voice broke.

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "I'll still be here with you, Mama." He even kissed the side of my head. That's how my Arsu was: empathetic, sensitive and deeply compassionate. 

"How did they grow up so soon?" I whispered out. "First my Hoor, now Haya...Before I know it, Ro and you will also... Where did the time go?" 

"Mama, have you had a happy married life?" He asked me.

I sat up straight, looking at him in surprise. "Of course! How can you even ask me that?" 

"Then think about it this way: Hoor Appi and Haya Appi are getting a chance to live out their own happily married lives. You want them to have the same chance as you got, right?"

How is this boy so sensible? I looked at my youngest in awe. "Of course I do, Arsu. And I pray from the bottom of my heart for that to happen- for them to live out the same beautiful experience as me, albeit in a different way." I placed my hand on his cheek. "And I want you and Rohaan to be amazing and loving husbands to your wives in the future, as your father has been to me. In Sha Allah. Careers main karo ya na karo, is mamle main Papa ke footsteps follow karne hain, theek hai?"

*"Whether you follow his footsteps in your careers, in this matter you have to follow your father's footsteps, okay?"

He stared down silently into his lap.

"When the timing is right, I'll talk to your Papa." I knew exactly what was on his mind. "But only when the timing is right." I took a deep breath. "For now, I need to handle him while he absorbs the fact that his other daughter will be getting married soon too, In Sha Allah. Don't let me give him the shock that his youngest is heading in the same direction." 

Arsalan laughed and I smiled as I saw how strongly he resembled Rehan.

"What's going on in here?" 

The two of us saw Rohaan in the doorway, staring at us sleepily. He wore worn out sports trousers that I'd been begging him to throw away, along with a black vest. He yawned and came over to sit on my other side. Yawning again, he leaned his head against my shoulder and closed his eyes.

"She is missing Haya Appi already." Arsu informed him.

"Why would anyone be upset about behayai leaving their lives?" Rohaan muttered sleepily.

"Rohaan, behave!" I warned him.

"At least you should be on our side, Mama." My older son complained.

I turned my head to kiss his forehead.

"Don't get all emotional, Mama." Rohaan had to put up a tough façade, as usual.

I looked down at the family photo and smiled. The twins, barely four, were sitting on either side of Rehan, wearing gorgeous lilac dresses. Hoor was the one sitting between Rehan and me, resting her head against my arm. I held a newborn Arsu in my arms, while Rehan was holding baby Rohaan. It still amused me how much I freaked out when I found out that I was pregnant with Arsu during my maternity leave after Ro's birth.

*

FLASHBACK

"Oh my God. Oh my God." I was pacing my bedroom, having just read the report confirming my suspicions. "I'm pregnant."

Rehan stood up, giving up working on his laptop. "Anya..." I think he was being cautious about how to behave or what to say.

"I'm pregnant! How am I pregnant when I just gave back a few months ago?" I saw the corner of his mouth lift up in an amused smirk and I raised a finger. "Do not say it, Rehan Tariq. I know how human reproduction works." I placed a hand over my forehead. "What am I going to tell everyone at work? What will they think of me?" 

"Oh whoa, Anya! Having s*x during your maternity leave? How scandalous!" 

"Having unprotected s*x during maternity leave."

"We never had unprotected s*x. But what can I say? It's not a hundred percent..." He stopped as he saw my expressions. "Anya..." 

I placed my hands over my stomach. "Oh God, I feel sick."

"Anya, we'll get through this together. It's not really the end of the..."

"No, Rehan! I feel literally sick!" I rushed to the bathroom to throw up.

After I threw up and cleaned up, I stood by the sink crying. 

Rehan came behind me and wrapped his arms around me, leaning down to place his chin on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Anya. I know that this is something that you were dreading before as well."

"Don't apologise. It's not your fault that the protection didn't work." I muttered. "No more s*x for a while."

"Hey...let's not get dramatic, okay?" He chuckled. 

I grinned.

*

PRESENT

Rohaan fell asleep with his head on my shoulder as I was taking a walk down memory lane. Meanwhile, Arsal was flipping through another photo album.

"Oh, look." He pointed at the photo where Haya and Hoor were sitting on the sofa with baby Arsal in their lap. Mama was sitting just out of the camera's view, steadying Arsal's head with her hand. Haya was grinning widely at the camera and Haya was seemingly tracing Arsal's cheek with her finger.

"My babies." I whispered.

Suddenly, Arsal glanced towards his brother and set the photo album aside. "I'll be right back."

"What?" I asked.

He got up and ran out of the room. A couple of minutes later, he ran back in with his phone in his hands. He took a photo of Rohaan, and as my elder son started snoring lightly, my younger son made a video of him.

"Arsal, are you serious?" 

"He loves teasing everyone. Now watch him get a taste of his own medicine." He did a little victory dance, to my surprise. When he saw me grinning, he shrugged. "To get revenge on Rohaan Rehan Tariq is an epic achievement; a war won, Mama." 

"I cannot deny that." I kissed my Ro's forehead again.

And to think that another path of my life could have led to marriage with Adam Shahid. I don't know how my alternative life would have been, but I have a feeling that I would have been absolutely miserable.

*

Rehan

It was time for Fajr and I woke up to find myself alone in bed. "Anya?" 

Getting out of bed, I walked to the bathroom and found it empty as well. Where is she?

After performing wudhu, I headed out of the room and down the stairs. I could see the living room light on. I was prepared to find her asleep with a book by her side. 

What I wasn't prepared to find was with her on the sofa with Rohaan's head on her one shoulder, and Arsal's on the other, all of them fast asleep. I smiled, leaning against the doorframe. I would never admit this out loud because I didn't want to worry Anya, but I was reassured that my children would take care of Anya, no matter what. Even with Hoor and Haya starting their own married lives, I knew Ro and Arsal would always be strong pillars of support for my wife. I had faith in them.

I felt an arm through mine and looked down to see Haya standing in an abaya and a hijab, ready to pray. My fatherly heart sank a little as I realised that soon I'll be sending her off to her own home too, In Sha Allah. I'd barely recovered from Hoor's departure.

"Can I wake Rohaan up?" Haya asked cheekily.

"Haya..."

"Go upstairs and pretend you don't know anything about this." 

I chuckled. "Haya, don't do anything that will get you in trouble with your mother."

With a soft giggle that reminded me of a five-year-old Haya, she headed towards the kitchen making me wonder what exactly what was on her mind. I didn't have to wonder for long when  she returned with a glass of water. 

"Haya, no..." 

"Come on, Papa. You know he'd do it if he got the chance." She headed towards the sofa and initially dipped her fingers in the water to sprinkle it on Rohaan. When he didn't wake up, she poured the glass over him.

He woke up with a yell. "What the...?" His yell had woken up his mother and younger brother too. Wiping water from his face, Rohaan stood up and glared at Haya. "What the fu...dge Haya?" He amended his word as he noticed my presence. 

Anabia stood up. "What's going on? Haya!" 

Arsalan was grinning even as he rubbed sleep out of his eyes. "Good one, Appi." 

"You." Anya turned to me. "You have spoiled her!" 

Haya squealed and ran to hide behind me as Rohaan grabbed a cushion to attack her.

I couldn't keep a smile off my face. "Haya just wanted to make sure he woke up for Fajr."

"Mama. This is not fair." Rohaan protested, turning to his mother. "If I'd done that, I'd be in so much trouble. Right, Arsal?" 

Arsalan backed away. "Oh no. I'm neutral. Don't drag me into this."

"This discrimination is unacceptable." Anabia walked up to me, before glancing over her shoulder at Arsalan. "Arsu, do me a favour and book me a ticket to Lahore. I'm going to my mother's. I won't stay where my sons are discriminated against."

"Really, Anya?" 

"Oh, yeah, you're right. Why should Arsu book it for me? I'm the station manager of the airline. I can sort it out myself." A determined look came on my wife's face.

"Mama, come on. No need for this drastic step..." Arsalan spoke calmly.

"I thought you were neutral." Rohaan instantly spoke up.

"Mama, I'm gonna leave soon. Would you not want me to have a little fun?" Haya pouted, peeking from behind me.

"Your marriage isn't even fixed yet, and you're already packing your bags?" Rohaan again jumped in.

"Rohaan often does that to me, Mama." Arsalan said. "He only got what he deserves."

"You..." Rohaan lunged towards him.

"Alright, that's enough." I spoke in my strict fatherly voice. "Fajr ka time hai. Teenon shaiytani band karo aur jaake namaaz padho." 

*"It's time for Fajr. You three quit your cheekiness and pray."

Rohaan and Arsal began to walk out, and as the former walked past Haya, he suddenly moved forward as if to lunge at her. She gasped and moved on my other side, clutching my arm.

Haya followed slowly...

...and soon I heard her and Rohaan bickering again.

"STOP IT!" I yelled. And then there was silence. I turned to Anya, who was staring up at me with her arms crossed over her chest, and a small frown on her face. "Anya."

"Ghalat baat hai, Rehan. Vaada bhool jaoongi main apna." 

*"It's not right, Rehan. I'll forget my promise."

"Kaunsa vaada?"

*"What promise?" 

"Ke main naraaz hoke kabhi ghar chodhke nahi jaaongi." 

*"That I'll never leave home angrily."

"Anya..." I grabbed her hands. "If it was about discrimination, I'd be telling of Arsal too, right? But Rohaan is always up to no good." 

"But if Haya or Hoor do the same, they get away with it. Mere bechare bete." She sulked, lightly slapping me on the chest.

*"My poor sons."

"Chalo, maante hain ke Arsalan bechara hai. Laikin Rohaan?" I grinned.

*"Okay, I admit we can say 'poor Arsal'. But Rohaan?"

"Rehan!" 

I laughed, wrapping my arm around her. "Anya, he's also my kid, yaar. I only want what's best for him, like I do with the others."

"Sometimes show him a little softness as well. He really looks up to you, Rehan." 

"I know, Anya. And I'm proud of the wonderful, caring boy he is turning out to be. Ma Sha Allah."

"Let him know. He'll feel immensely pleased knowing how his father is there to support him, and take care of him in case he stumbles. He adores you, and he needs you as much as your daughters need you." 

*

FLASHBACK

Rohaan was barely two when Mum and I took him along to the supermarket to get groceries. Anya was at home with our baby son Arsalan, while the twins were at school.

Walking along beside Mum, Rohaan was happily enjoying the experience of being here and was laughing and giggling as he pointed at anything and everything, looking up at me or Mum to make sure that we shared his excitement.

"Mum, I'm just going to go and grab something. Can you keep an eye on Rohaan?" I asked my mother.

"Of course. Go ahead."

I'd barely reached the end of the aisle when I heard a shout and a cry. 

"Baba!" 

I turned and saw Rohaan running unsteadily towards me, face scrunched up as he started to cry. "Rohaan." I crouched down and held out my arms and he threw himself into my arms.

"Baba..." He sobbed against my shoulder, his small arms wrapping around my neck.

Mum walked towards us, smiling. "He can't tolerate it when you're out of his sight for even one second. Take him along with you, Rehan."

I stood up, nodding, and as I continued walking with my toddler son in my arms, gone were his tears almost instantly. He started giggling and talking in his baby language again, pointing out things.

Later, as we waited in the car for Mum to get something she'd forgotten, Rohaan was in my lap, his saliva covered hands gripping the steering wheel. He pressed the steering wheel hard with both hands, honking the car horn. 

"Rohaan, no..."

Giggling at  this new discovery, he repeated the action until I made him sit in the front passenger seat beside me. He immediately slid off the seat and tried to open the glove compartment.

I picked him up again. "Come here, you cheeky monkey." I lifted him onto my lap again, and he immediately turned towards the steering wheel. I turned him around to face me. He squinted his eyes and blew out, giggling as his spit flew onto my face. Clapping he lunged towards the steering wheel again and only stopped when I started to tickle his tummy. The sounds of his laughing filled the car, and remained even as Mum opened the door.

"Dado!" Squealing, Rohaan waved happily at my mother.

"Mera shehzada bacha." Mum took him from me and kissed his cheeks.

*"My prince."

"Come on. Time to get into the car seat." I took him from Mum again and got out of the car to strap him into his car seat at the back. Mum got in beside him because now Rohaan had the tendency to free himself from his car seat and stand up.

As I strapped the belts, he gave me a smile, holding out both hands towards me. "Baba."

I leaned down and kissed his cheek. "My adorable little boy. Baba loves you so much." And as I looked at his innocent smile and bright eyes, I saw my whole world in him.

He, Hooriya, Haya, Arsalan and Anabia were my whole world. They would never know how much they meant to be or how I'd happily give my life for them.

"When I saw you being fatherly with Yas, I knew you'd be a good father." Mum spoke up as she glanced at me with a tearful smile. "And Ma Sha Allah, I can see that I was right."

I glanced down at Rohaan again. He was now making an attempt to free himself from the belt. "Mum, keep an eye on him. This one seems like a rebellious one."

She laughed. "Learning from his Haya Appi. Remember how she once freed herself while you were driving on the motorway?" 

"I know these two are going to be a handful." I kissed Rohaan's forehead again and got up, closing the door. 

My whole damn world.

Alhumdulillah.

*

A sweet special chapter for you all to show the Rehan family bonding.

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