There's nothing beautiful about the wreckage of a human being
There is nothing pretty,
about damage,
about pain,
about heartache.
What is beautiful is
their strength,
their resilience,
their fortitude
As they display an ocean of courage
when they pick through the wreckage of their life
To build something beautiful brand new,
against every odd
that is stacked against them.
- Nikita Gill

________________________________

Maaz stirs on the counter, alerting me. I wake up from the chair I had dozed off on. He winces and then rasps, 'Arhaan?'

After removing all the glass and wiping him clean, Arhaan had fallen asleep in the guest room. I had told him I'd stay with Maaz. He seemed unsure about it.

'It's me.' I say uncertainly.

I place my chair near the counter so that I'm level to his face. He turns his head to look at me, I fidget with my fingers, folding them on my lap.

'Do I look that hideous that you don't even want to see me?' He struggles to raise his head.

I place my hand on his head to stop him. His hair is deflated and lie flat without their usual bounce. His eyes are still heavy with sleep and exhaustion, sweat has made his face glazed. He was still beautiful, his delicate straight nose, his slightly parted full lips, cut open as he bit down on them too hard. Slowly my fingers comb through his hair, his deep blue eyes bore into mine making it difficult to look away.

'No, you don't.' I answer.

'Thanks for coming.' He says with formality.

'Of course I'd come. I wouldn't leave you would I?' I snap at him. 'Why do you and Arhaan think I hate you?'

Maaz laughs at that, 'Arhaan doesn't hate you, he loves me too much. And he thinks you take me for granted.' It is a shame that Arhaan is right. I do take Maaz for granted.

'I'm sorry.' I lay my head beside his on the counter, my eyes line with his lips as we lie in opposite directions. Our noses touch, breathing in the same air. Nervously I chew on my lip.

'I'm sorry too. I should have told you. I was afraid to bring it up. I know how you flinch when his name comes up.'

'Still doesn't explain why you have it.' I counter.

'I need some time, please. I can't explain lying on my stomach here, not the best setting. I need you to trust me until then. Do you trust me?' His voice is low, pleading me to understand.

'What's the big deal? Why can't I know now? It's not as if it's a big story.' I press him.

'You don't trust me?' He counters. His eyes travel over my face, stopping a little longer on my lips then coming to rest on my eyes.

'Zara, can we please let it rest?' His breath fans across my forehead. Achingly soft, his voice would make me agree to anything.

'Okay.' I concede.

He closes the distance between us. His chaffed lips press onto my forehead a thousand emotions erupt inside me as my eyes flutter close to relish the feeling.

Arhaan breaks the moment, he walks groggily into the kitchen, 'I heard noises.' His eyes widen as he sees me blushing and Maaz's irritated humph at his arrival.

'Oh my ears, I hope they weren't that kind of noises.' He scrunches his nose in disgust and shakes his ears with his fingers.

'In the state I am in, getting off the counter would be a miracle.' Maaz retorts.

'Coming to that, why the hell are you in this state? How did you get so much glass?' I interject.

Two pairs of eyes snap to me, Maaz's blue eyes dull for a moment before flashing towards Arhaan then it comes back to me. Arhaan's steady brown eyes remain on me, 'Oh that, he walked into a cracked glass door.' He responds immediately.

'I'm still wondering how he missed the big red cross on it, marking it.' He turns to Maaz, his hands folded over his stomach.

'My stomach. Now would be a great time to help me off this.' Maaz says struggling to get up, he winces when his back moves and collapses back onto the counter. After efforts, we succeed in making him stand. He is unsteady on his feet.

'Do you feel woozy?' I ask. I hope the blood loss wasn't much.

'No I'm fine.' He says.

My phone rings and I look apologetically at the boys before I receive the call.

'I'll take him to your room.' Arhaan says before I take the call.

'Sis?' Ziyan calls out once again from the other side.

'Yes? I'm in the middle of something. Can it wait?' I ask him, my eyes wander worriedly to the room. I hope Arhaan has the common sense to not make him lie on his back.

'You left all of a sudden. I was hoping to go over a few more ideas with you.' Ziyan says.

'Uh yeah, sorry.' I reply distractedly.

'Are you okay?'

'Yup, why have you called?'

'We are going tomorrow to Smile. I've talked to Arhaan, he's in. It's all settled.'

'Oh that's soon. Very soon.' I hear a groan from inside the room making me rush to the corridor, but then I begin to hear laughter.

'Yes, we thought it would be best tomorrow. Amaro has a meeting elsewhere tomorrow. He is leaving earlier than usual.'

I'm still unsettled, I should have perhaps run this through with Maaz before acting on it but Ziyan said we couldn't lose time. The sooner we get out of this mess the sooner we can lead normal lives.

The morning dawns slowly it is noon by the time I wake up. Maaz is still asleep, he lies shirtless with his bandaged back facing upwards, blood has seeped into the bandages. I will have to dress him again.

His wounds were deep, I wonder how hard he crashed into the glass to make them penetrate his back. Accidents happen but according to the wound depth this seems a little illogical. I wonder if there is something more to it.

'Do we go to a hospital today?' I ask him. Maaz is seated on the couch near the French window, Arhaan sits adjacent to him. After getting Maaz dressed we decided to have brunch.

Maaz places the sandwich back on the plate looking at me, then shakes his head. No. I do not object. His wounds seemed better this morning, and arguing with him would bring me no good.

Arhaan excuses himself in the afternoon after assuring Maaz that he will be back for the night after taking a shower and a change of clothes. After Maaz falls asleep again I go over to Addy's side to meet him and Ira.

Addy is his usual fun charming self, I feel my mind unwind and the knots inside my head relax. It is refreshing to let his laughter wipe down the events of the past weeks.

'Remember that night when Maaz and you were caught sneaking out to the beach?' He throws another memory at me. I'm silently thankful that to this day our parents never figured out that it was not just one night but almost every other night.

I smile reminiscing our smaller carefree versions. How uncomplicated things used to be. Time has trodden down its ruinous path and brought us here. A conjunction which diverges into fragments and rivulets, branches so many that it is hard to realize which leads out and which leads to a dead end.

The sky outside darkens, dusky pink shadows fall over the lawn. Henry walks the perimeter with the water hose in hand. He waves at Addy when he sees us watching him. The gate at the far end opens and Ira's red Range Rover rolls in. It disappears into the garage. Shortly Ira emerges, her short black hair is braided, the setting sun makes her bronzed skin glow, the wind ruffles her orange shirt, and she tugs at it. Harry comes from behind her, his tall muscled figure dwarfs her. Addy and I watch as she waves him goodbye before entering the house.

'He's not staying over tonight?' Addy asks her when she comes in.

'Not tonight.' Ira responds. 'Zara! I met Eliza today. We went for lunch. I wanted to talk to you, good thing you are here.'

'I'll leave you both to it. This old man needs to rest.' Addy says.

'Eliza told me about Smile. Breaking in isn't a good option. But I think it is the best we have.' Ira says. I groan internally. I am not sure how tonight would play out. The lesser people knew the lesser the damage in case things went wrong. I should have talked to Eliza about this. It is too late now.

'I hope it is.'

'Don't worry, I think it will be fine. Ziyan, Eliza and Arhaan have planned it over and over again. They will only take pictures of the adoptive parent's address and return. Technically it's not stealing.' She sounds confident.

'Let's hope they don't get caught.' I can't help but worry about my siblings.

She pats my hand reassuringly. Her eyes are on the lawn in front of us. The sun has set and a bluish black blanket covers the earth. The moon is a small oval tonight, marked with dark spots.

'I think Harry is cheating on me. Again.' Ira says softly into the silence.

'Oh.' I fail to form a sentence. 'Have you confronted him?'

'No. I'm afraid to hear the truth.'

'Maybe there isn't any truth to it. Your eyes can be deceiving.'

'I wish that is true.' She sighs.

'Anyhow, Ziyan, Arhaan, Eliza, you and I are going to be on a conference call when they reach to keep us all connected and in case they need back up.' Ira says.

I hadn't been able to receive Ziyan's calls or talk to him properly today. I send him a text. Play safe.

The next minute my phone rings. 'Stop worrying sista! I'm so excited about this.' His voice is cheery and I can imagine him bouncing as he talks to me.

'Wrong emotion Ziyan. Be careful. Don't mess up. If you feel something is off abort. We can try another way.' I advise him which I know is unheeded.

'I'm going to be James Bond for the night.' He says gleefully.

'Arhaan is here I've got to go. We will call an hour later.' He says before hanging up.

Maaz is sitting up on the bed, reading when I return. I get dinner going before the hour gets over. I cannot swallow my food, nervous anticipation keeps me on my toes. I pace around the house, dusting surfaces which have no dust, arranging cushions which are in their place.

'Calm down.' Maaz stops me as I lift a cushion for the third time. With his head stuck over a book, I thought he wasn't paying attention to me.

'I am clam.' I respond looking at him.

He places the book aside and stands up, wincing as he does. He stands before me.

'Clearly, you aren't. Otherwise, you wouldn't be a clam.' He responds with a grin.

'What's going on? You haven't been home half the day.' He asks gently.

'You ask me and I should answer but when I ask you that doesn't work.' I glare at him.

'You go first then I will.' His dark eyes penetrate mine compelling me to trust him.

Keeping aside my anger, I narrate today's plan to him. I expect him to rebuke the foolishness of the plan instead he stays quiet only purses his lips in grave thought and I think I see the hint of disapproval on his face. I am at the end telling him about the call when my phone rings indicating Ziyan and Arhaan have reached Smile.

I put it on speaker and wait.

'Arhaan is checking on the security guard.' Ziyan whispers.

After ten minutes of waiting there's another whisper. 'Ziyan go.' Arhaan says.

I twist my hands and wait with bated breath. Another minute of nerve-wracking silence later I hear him whisper. 'I'm in.'

'Five minutes until the guard comes up again.' Arhaan whispers.

We hear soft a soft click as Ziyan unlocks the office door. We hear muffled footsteps and then the sound of sliding drawers. We are all quiet, not even the sound of breathing comes from the phone's speaker.

Maaz has set a timer on his phone and we sit staring at the seconds' tick by. Three minutes twenty seconds pass.

'Do we tell him to abort?' I ask Maaz anxiously after putting the phone on mute.

'Lisa Rose isn't it?' Ziyan whispers before Maaz replies.

'Yes, Lisa R. Rose.' I say.

'There's Alicia Finley adopted a week before. No records after that.'

'Ziyan, last one minute. You need to leave.' Arhaan says urgently.

'Before maybe?' I say.

'No Zara, there is no adoption record for Lisa R. Rose at all.'

***

A/N : Bonjour mes amis,
I hope you are having fun with all these exciting chapters.
I am definitely enjoying writing these down. Can't wait to reveal everything else!
Please do vote.
Votes motivate me to write more as they tell me that you guys are enjoying my story.
As always waiting to hear your comments on this one.

Laugh.