Ten years later
Zain: 40 years old
Mahrukh: 33 years old

The past ten years had been full of happiness and bliss. Sure Zain and Mahrukh had had their differences and fights but they had always managed to come back to each other. Their love was adored by their kids. That is right. Kids. After Malika, they had a son, Arsalan who was two years younger than her. Malika and Faris were best friends and they were like two peas in a pod. Their bond was similar to the one Akbar and Mahrukh had shared.

"Abbu! Abbu!"
The voice of Arsalan ran through the house. Arsalan was sheriking. Zain was returing from a business seminar in England.
"Mera chaand,"
exclaimed Zain. He took him up into his arms and littered kisses all over his face.
"How are you?"
Asked the little boy.
"Fine now that I have you. Now where are your mama and sister?"
Arsalan just shrugged his shoulders. Having just come back from school the little child had no idea. Zain knew that there was only one place the mother daughter could be in. The kicthen.

Inside the large modern room, Mahrukh stood making some cookies with Malika. They were talking about Malika's day at school. She was telling her as if she had had a very important day with the highlight being her dropping water on the girl who sat next to her. Mahrukh and Malika were so engrossed in their chats that they had not noticed when Zain and Arsalan walked in.
"Looks like someone did not miss me at all," Zain uttered. Acting disappointed and hurt.
"Zain!"
"Baba!"
The words left their mouths at the same time. They ran to him and hugged him tightly at the same time.

Zain placed Arsalan on the ground and then picked Malika in his arms.
"How is my princess? I hope she did not disturb mama".
Malika looked at him as if he had committed a crime. The girl was notorius for pulling pranks on her mother.
"No baba. I was good girl. Ask mama". Mahrukh vouched for her daughter and then asked all of them to sit as she was going to begin serving lunch.

"Mama what is for lunch?"
An impatient Arsalan asked. The young boy was a spitting image of his father. The same hair and eyes. They two shared so many similar habits that at times Mahrukh felt overwhelmed.
"Beta I have made Biryani".
"Yummm".
Arsalan washed his hand before sitting in his chair. Zain smiled at his family with pride. Allah had clearly blessed him with the best.

They had moved into the quarters they had constructed in the back yard of the house sick and tired of Hooriya and Amal's constant bullying and fighting. The little cottage had three master size bedrooms. Mahrukh and Zain's room was pretty much the same as their room in the main home. Meanwhile, Malika had designed her room to be the envy of everyone. The pastel pink walls and white accents. The room was any girls dream. Arsalan's room was a mix of blues and purples. Full of posters of astronauts. The young boy was obsessed with them. Also he was obsessed with dinosaurs which explained the numerous books he had on them, which he had Mahrukh read to him.

The past ten years were a rollercoaster. Two months after Malika was born, Saad passed away in an accident on his way to Islamabad from Lahore. Mahrukh was devestated. She went into a severe depression. She forgot to eat and sleep. She would move around the home like a ghost. Only living for her daughter. But then Zain had shown her how wrong she was. There was way more to life. When one left another one would come. Life was a series of gains and losses. You could not stop for someone. So after countless therapist visits and the strong belief of Zain had managed to pull her out of the dark hole she had fallen into.

Aliya and Akram were alive and healthy. They lived in the main house that had been built in the days of their grandfather. The two adored their grand kids. They spoiled them and when they were stopped the only reply they would give was
"We are their grandparents. If we do not spoil them. Who will we spoil?"
And so they would have to become quite. The two were living their life to the fullest. But their was a void in their heart.

Their daughter, Laraib. They had tried countless times to keep in contanct with her but all she did was ignore their calls, messages and visits. They coukd not see their daughter go through pain. Even Zain and Akbar had went to meet her but she would refuse. Laraib would hurt herself internally for hurting her family but she had built walls around her heart. She knew if she saw anyone from her family, she would breakdown and cry. The last they had heard from Laraib was two years ago. After which she had killed herself not being able to withstand the way life had treated her. In the last moments of her life she had cursed the day she gave into Fahad's plan.

As for Fahad and Zainab, they had sold their shares and started their own business. Later to realise that it was a mistake. For eventhough, they were getting by, it was not enough to sustain the lavish life they had been used to. After the death of Laraib things had hit them harder. How they had been unfari to a poor soul. They had cried at nights for the forgiveness of their Lord. Fahad's second wife was barren, it was something he accepted as punishment. But now a changed man, he had adooted a child. Zainab, had been so ashamed that she could not even face her own brothers. She knew that her ego and the mind games had been the cause of her destruction.

Hooriya had a taste of her own medicine. Amal treated her like baggage and cared about her not so much. Any time Hooriya would ask for something, Amal and her son would ignore her. Her heart shattered to little pieces everytime this happened. She had lost her husband to cancer five years ago. She was utterly alone. Her greed and selfishness had been the cause of her own destruction.

○~○

Today was Faris' birthday. The mansion had been decorated with the best materials. The blue streamers lined the house and outside, a jumping castle had been placed. Along with many other games as well as street food stalls. Faris was dear to everyone. So it meant that everything had to be over the top.

Mahrukh dressed Malika into a peach puffy dress with peach shoes. Arsalan was wearing black jeans and a grey t-shirt. His hair had been brushed back. Mahrukh looked at her children before saying
"My little loves. Please do not ruin your clothes".
The two siblings nodded and ran out to enjoy the event. Finallt having time she quickly changed into a red shirt with small stone work flowers. The duppata was sky blue to match with the work done on the shirt. Wearing her heels, Mahrukh placed her hair into a sleek bun and wore large jhumkas.

Zain who had just entered their bedroom looked at her. Kissing the nape of her neck, he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his nose over the length of her delicate neck. Peppering kisses all along.
"Stop Zain. Amna and Akbar must be waiting ".
Zain shook his head like a stubborn child.
"Let them wait," and if possible, tightened his hold on her.

Amna and Akbar had only one son Faris. He was spoilt by them both. But never to the extent to which he would become a rude and insolent brat. He actually had a heart of gold. He loved all his family members and perhaps even sported a tiny crush on Malika. But he knew his Taya would slaughter him if he were to make advances. What the kid did not know was that the two were engaged on the birth of Malika.

It was a known fact that Zain was very possesive about the people he loved especially his daughter and wife. He was someone Faris looked upto. The man was an inspiration. Zain was manging two companies. One that he had inherited and the other one being the company of his father in law Saad.

Zain looked at Mahrukh with eyes full of love and whispered
"I love you".
"I love you too".
The moment was short lived for their children shouted simultaneously
"We love you too".

This is what had happened to the family of Sahir Sahab. They had once stood strong together like cement. But before Sahir Sahab's death the cracks had begun to show. After his death, the anchor broke and all of them drifted away. The family that was once large and full of love, had been reduced to the families of just the two sons of Akram. Everyone else had been lost. Either to their greed or to the grains of time. But for as long as Mahrukh and Zain lived, they strived to bring back the family back that was there when their grandfather was alive. But the damage was done. And when the two died hand in hand in their beds after living a full life, their wish still had not been fulfilled. It didn't matter. They had each other. They had lived their forever. They had made memories. They had seen their kids find love and have kids. What more could they have asked for?

And that was them. Zain's Mahrukh and Mahrukh's Zain.

○~○

The End