Long after Maryam and Muhammad's little conversation, maryam excused herself. She found herself looking around the house, it was such a gorgeous and modernized building.

The living room upstairs was big with clean white walls, a modern coffee table which helps bridge the two cream couches with golden sides in the parlor. The couches are perfectly offset by a golden carpet. Art prints were framed and hung on the walls, and flowers were placed on a beautiful center table.

Two floor lamps with their contrasting black and gold finish and unique shape were placed right beside the couches. One mustard yellow wing chair was then placed adjacent the lamps. Completing the look.

The whole length of one wall was replaced with glass sliding door which leads to a balcony. To the right, a mini bookshelf stacked with few books, and magazines was kept.

Maryam pulled back the heavy velvet drapes that covered half the sliding door, and opened it. You could see every thing up from there. It was maryam's favorite part in the house.

She stepped into the balcony, feeling the cold breeze of december hit her face slightly. She noticed everyone has already finished his/her work and left already, it was only a few guards patrolling around the house.

Daddy being a politician has a lot of enemies, who threaten his life and family. Hence, security was needed.

She hugged her arms, and looked up at the sky. Watching the stars shine brightly up in the sky has been maryam's most favorite thing to do on earth since childhood.

La haula wala quwwata illah billah, I haven't called baba today. She thought panicking.

She immediately stepped out of the balcony, closed and locked the door, then drew back the curtains.

She opened her bag, carelessly shoving its content aside in search of her phone. When she found it, she pulled it out and dialed baba's number.

Baba picked up the phone on the first ring. "Assalam alaikum baba." She greeted with a smile. "Waalaikum Assalam maryama, sai yanzun aka tuna Dani?" Baba replied.

Translation: you just remembered me now.

She made herself comfortable on the couch, saying "no, baba it's not like that. I have been busy all morning ne."

"Okay, how was the wedding?"

"It went well Alhamdulillah. How is work?"

"Work's fine Alhamdulillah. Your mom told me that you were spending the week at Abduljabbar's house."

She started twiddling with the cord of her handbag. "Yes, Insha Allah."

"But, you should come home tomorrow because I will be coming to see you all, before I take off to India." He said, and cleared his throat.

"Insha Allah, I will come."
🌙🌙

Later, muhammad came out of mummy's room tired and exhausted.He made his way to the kitchenette, grabbed a bottle of water, gulped it down, and threw the bottle in the dust bin.

He walked out of the kitchen, and was about to leave for the boys quarters, when he heard  movement in the living room.

'Who is it?'— 'Aisha usually sleeps in early, and it can definitely not be muhsin' he thought, as he made his way to the parlor.

As he drew closer, he started hearing maryam's chuckles. Finally he found her laying on the couch, covered by a blanket in the dark, watching television. She was clad in a baby pink pyjamas, sipping from a mug.

He looked at the tv then back at her. She was watching Disney channel; Kc undercover.

She looked up, and found him standing by the door with his arms crossed. She slightly smiled at him and he smiled back, making his way to the couch. He sat down, and looked at her.

"I thought you went to sleep." She sat up, and placed the coffee mug on the coffee table. "Yes, but I couldn't fall asleep so I came out to watch something then maybe fall asleep."

He nod his head in understanding and said, "oh but it's not good for your health to stay up late." She looked at him smiling. "I know Mr Doctor, don't worry about my health. I can take care of myself." — "and by the way, I sleep late and wake up really late. I sleep for at least 8 hours, so it's all good."

He looked at her and found himself smiling. "You always have something to say, don't you?"

She shook her head smiling and looked back at the screen.

"Why were you with Khalifa?" He asked out of the blue. She looked at him, clearly surprised by his question. "He brought us home, from ya munira's house."

Muhammad just nod his head, clearly not convinced by her answer. "Alright, goodnight," he said, standing up. "Goodnight." She replied.

He opened the door, and was about to leave, when she said, "Khalifa just offered to bring us home, and we were so tired and hungry, at first we refused, but he insisted so we agreed." He smiled inwardly, and said "you better start preparing for tomorrow." And left.

She watched his figure as he walked out of the parlor and smiled.

🌙🌙

Muhammad hopped out of his bed, and walked into the bathroom. He came out few minutes later, and threw on a black tracksuit.

He picked his phone that was laying on his bed and dialed mimi's number. She picked it up on the second ring. They exchanged pleasantries, and spoke for a while before he told her he was going to exercise.

He came out of his room, and found mahmoud in the kitchen.

"Morning. Would you like some coffee?" he asked, as he pour his coffee into a mug.

"Yes please, I could use some." He sat on a stool in the kitchen.

Mahmoud poured some coffee into a mug, dropped two sugar and added a bit of milk then handed it over to Muhammad. "Thank you." He took a sip then looked over at mahmoud who was also seated on a stool then said, "Is abdallah still asleep?"

"Yes fah, you know how he is kaman wani gawa idan ana tashin sa daga bacci. I wonder how his wife will cope with his sleeping habits. He sleeps late and wakes up really late." And that statement, made muhammad remember maryam, which made him smile.

"But doesn't he know that we are going to be late," he said, and stood up. Making his way to abdallah's room, mahmoud laughed and also followed him, knowing exactly what muhammad is going to do.

They silently opened the door and tiptoed into the room. Mahmoud silently entered his bathroom and filled a small bucket with water, then he brought it out and gave the bucket to muhammad.

Muhammad smiled mischievously, then tiptoed closer to him. He nod at mahmoud, as he slowly pull the covers from his body and poured half the water on his body.

"Subhanallah." Abdallah shouted, and jumped out of the bed looking around him. Muhammad leaned on a wing chair in the room laughing, while mahmoud fell on the floor laughing hard.

He immediately took off his shirt and looked at his brothers shouting.

"I have been.. trying..trying to...wake..you..up," mahmoud started in between his laughter, trying to stand up. —"but..you know how you sleep, so I told ya Muhammad about it and this happened." He continued, holding the wing chair as a support as he stood up.

"Abdallah, you know we have to go to the gym early today and you slept in late when you know that you have to wake up early." Muhammad said trying to recover from his laughter.

Abdallah groaned as he pulled the sheets from his bed. "That doesn't give you the right to do this."

"Oh it doesn't? Do you remember when you and ya Muhammad did it to me?" Mahmoud said sitting on the side of the bed that wasn't wet. Abdallah looked at him saying, "but that was funny." Then he started laughing.

"And you think this isn't funny." Muhammad said, sitting on the chair he was previously leaning on.

"Mahmoud, how comes we have never pranked ya Muhammad ne, Allah it's not fair," Abdallah said, pulling a towel from his drawer.

"For starters, he wakes up early before us and if we dare prank him, he would punish us. He is so evil," Mahmoud said, shaking his head.

"Ai I can't wait for him to get married, that way maybe his wife will be able to do things we couldn't do to him."

"Not possible." Muhammad said laughing.

Then they started reminiscing about their past.

15 minutes later

Muhammad stood up adjusting his cloth, then looked at his brothers and said, "we really need to get going."

"I'll be waiting for you outside." He added, as he exit the room. Mahmoud also came out and entered his room while abdallah entered the toilet.

Muhammad made his way to the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water. He dropped it on the drawer, grabbed his cup of coffee from before and poured it in the sink, washed the cup and put it back in its position.

He grabbed the bottle of water, and left the quarters.

🌙🌙

Maryam came out of the bathroom, threw on an ash silky material and wore a matching turban, then sat on aisha's bed. She looked at aisha who was lying on bed by the other side, talking in hushed voice to her boyfriend; Saif.

She looked at the clock, then picked her phone that was on her laps and dialed ya mubarak's number.

He picked up the phone on the second ring. "Hello Maryam," he said in a breathy voice, she smiled saying, "I guess you are at the gym?"

"Yes, but I'm going back home in a few minutes time. So why did you call? Because I am certain it is not for me." He chuckled.

She stood up and walked to the dressing table, pulled out the chair and sat on it saying, "Haba, of course I called to greet you and to ask why nobody at home is answering his phone." She frowned at last sentence. "I knew it. I don't know why, maybe it's network because they were all awake when I left home."

"Alright toh, thank you. Sai nazo." She said and disconnected the call after getting his reply. She dropped her phone, and opened the first drawer of the dresser.

She looked for the kohl and when she found it, she took it along with mascara. She took off her glasses, placed them on the dresser then applied the kohl. With that done, she put on the mascara on her bottom and top lashes and looked at herself in the mirror, feeling satisfied with her look.

She grabbed her glasses and cell phone and headed down stairs.

Making her way to the kitchen, she stopped by the dining table and grabbed a banana. "Mama talatu Ina kwana." She greeted when she came across her by the door to the kitchen.

"Ina gajiya maryam, how was Your night? I hope you slept well," She said placing the flask that was in her hand on the dining table beside the tray of cups. "I slept like a baby and dreamt a good dream," she smiled. "Anything I can help with?"

Mama talatu walked back into the kitchen, picked up the knife on a chopping board, and started slicing some tomatoes "Yes please, I have to prepare liver sauce as well as fry yam."

Maryam nod her head, then went and opened the drawer beneath the sink and pulled out a saucepan. She washed and rinsed it then placed it on the gas cooker. "You fry the yam, I will make the sauce."

"Allah yayi maki albarka kekam (May Allah bless you)." Mama tala said smiling. She then dropped what she was doing and turn on the deep fryer. "You know maman Muhammad doesn't approve other's cooking for the house if not me, so I always have to do all the cookings." She explained washing the yam that she had previously peeled.

"Hmmm" Maryam hummed in agreement slicing up some red pepper that she had just brought from the fridge. "Ai I don't blame her. You make the best of dishes after Mama. You should open a restaurant someday, you would make a lot money."

"Oh Allah, you children. You know muhammad also suggested that I open a restaurant someday. But I know you all are joking." She blushed.

"No fah, it isn't a joke. You make the best egusi soup and chinese rice."

And they continued chatting as they worked together in the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the family.

🌙🌙

Fatima🥀