"I matter, you matter, we matter!" 

~Empire Cast- Powerful 

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Iqraam 

"Ammi, i think we need to head in" i said and she smiled at me 

The sun was high up in the sky and we were seated at the beach houses on water 

"Just a little longer?" she asked me and i nodded

i was talking to Grover, my racing manager. 

it was about the upcoming Christmas race 

"Iqraam?" said ammi and i turned to her 

"Yeah?" i asked her leaning back on my beach chair 

her shades were on her head and her eyes were closed 

this place was reserved meaning no one was allowed here except for my family 

Iqra was out with Nabaahat and Nafaasat while Naaman was out with father 

"Iqraam, i am sorry-" she said and i set up instantly 

"What? why, mah?" i asked her 

she smiled and set up facing me 

"I lied... all these years, but i promise Iqraam i did not mean to hurt any of you!" she said hastily 

"No mah, its not your fault, you always did the best for both of us!" i said and she sighed 

putting her head in her hands, she closed her eyes once again 

thats when i noticed how much my mother was aging 

her forehead had wrinkled and her eyes seemed tired out 

she seemed stressed out herself!

"Mah, lets leave it, shall we? Whatever happens, happens by the will of Allah, we cant change that at all" i said and she peered through her lashes 

almost like a child!

i smiled at her 

"Iqraam, i need to explain something to you before its too late-" she said and i heaved a deep sigh 

"mah, you don't, it was your choice-" i said and she stopped me 

"Please hear me out-" her voice cracked and i felt something inside me twitch 

i cant see my mother cry- 

never 

"Mah, alright, i am listening, jus- just dont cry" i said and she smiled weakly 

sitting up straight she looked out to the open ocean 

"I am not divorced to your father" she said 

what?

"Yes, its true, he just left, he is still my husband and i gave him permission to marry- you were 2 years that time.... then he left, after making a promise- i- i made him promise me something- " she said 

she looked down at her fidgeting hands 

"I made him pro-promise he- he will never come back to see his son.." she said 

Ummmmm, WHAT THE HELL? 

"Ammi i know you are protecting him, so please don't-" i said and she shook her head

"I- i made him promise- but- but he returned- 3 years later- h- he came back to me- yet he had to leave.. Iqraam, Love is something we all need, we need to sacrifice at times for this love-" she said 

oh tell me about it?!! 

"But in the end, you still love them, i did the same with your father... i had to let him go- he had a son for gods sake!" she said and i sighed 

wow, so much for hating my father 

"i did not tell him about Iqra, if i did, he would come running back to me and i did not want that- i did not want him to leave his pregnant wife and 2 year old son alone-" she said and my eyes widened 

Turning to her, i opened my mouth to speak but surprisingly no words came out 

i was... speechless 

"Please don't hate him Iqraam..." she whispered and i sighed 

how can i hate him if he obeyed my mothers commands all this while!

Hack i was named after him!?

"Mah, why am i named after him? and more importantly, why do you still have his surname?" i asked her 

She smiled meekly 

"I am not divorced to him and i wanted you to have his name and become what no one thought of you to be-" she said and i sighed 

"Why did he leave you in the first place? he could have said no- i mean he loved you right? he should've fought the world for you!" i said running my hand through my hair 

She smiled 

"He did, only to be ending up in a ditch- he had no way out, Iqraam" she said 

'Ammi- quit the puzzles, i wanna know what had happened? what made him so damn compelled that he left his love and a child to die!?!" i said in rage 

it was all so frustrating 

he was a father and fathers are suppose to be there when their children need them!

he has no idea how much i used to cry in my childhood days just coz i did not have a father!

he has no idea how i studied and worked to be who i am today!

he has, yet again, no effing idea how much pain i had to go through my high school days just coz i had no friking father!

hack i even survived bullying!

"Iqraam, calm down, its nothing- time will heal-" she said and i stood up 

'Ammi- people say time heals all wounds, i think not- not all wounds are shallow enough to be healed through time- and the wound he gave Iqra and i- i dont think it will heal anytime soon-" i said and she stood up facing me 

"Imagine what i went through Iqraam, if you suffered the loss of your father, i suffered the loss of the love of my life- i suffered the loss of my husband and only true companion, hack i lost the man of my dreams in just... seconds" she said as tears fell out of her eyes 

sprinting to her, i hugged her 

i cant let her just cry 

'Shh, mah....." i said rubbing her back and she cried harder 

"Mah, its okay, he is back.... if Allah wills, everything will be fine" i said and she sobbed 

several minutes later, she let go of me and stood straight 

her eyes were red and puffed out 

"I am sorry for breaking down like that, Iqraam" she said and i shrugged 

'Meh, no big deal- you would have at one point and i am glad it was now coz i was there... for you" i smiled and she mirrored my expression 

"Please don't let Iqra know about this- she is already so much stressed" muttered ammi and i nodded 

we walked around the house and towards our main resident 

walking towards the pool that was linked to the main ocean, yeah that cool, i stared in awe

the clear waters felt refreshing 

"Wanna go for a swim?" i asked ammi and she laughed 

"Now?" she asked me and i nodded 

'Lets get changed before we hit the pool" i said and she grinned 

"We are home!" yelled Iqra

wow change of moods? 

"As salaam" said the trio in unison 

Iqra, for the first time, was wearing a flowery dress and i chuckled

"What?" she asked me 

"Flowered dress? thats a change!" i winked and she growled 

'hey, i am gonna change back to tees and jeans!" she said and i laughed 

'Wow calm down Kitkat- its just a joke- you look pretty" i said as i pulled her in a huge 

she chuckled and hugged me back 

'I love you bro" she muttered

'I love you more kitkat!" i said and she sighed 

looking up from my chest, she gave me a goofish smile 

"What?" i asked her 

"can we at least give them a chance?" she asked me with sincerity 

it took me a moment to understand she was talking about Namaan, Nabaahat and Nafasat 

I sighed 

'I don't know, kitkat, maybe?" i said and she pouted 

"Please? i think they are good people, plus you heard father, he said ammi practically brought them up! that makes them like us-" she explained and that was when i saw she was really into this whole step- sibling thingi 

"Fine- from now onwards, we will treat them as our own- but-" i said and she cheered until she heard 'But'

'But what?" she asked me 

"But you have to promise me something-" i said smirking 

she nodded 

"Whenever you call Ruqayyah, you will let me talk to her" i said and she stared at me 

for a moment there, i thought she was being a concerned sister 

but it lasted a moment 

she burst out laughing the next 

"W=what?" she laughed and i sighed 

"Yes- coz i can't call her myself" i said and she laughed harder

"Oh please, we will see in your time!" i muttered 

'never coming!" she laughed as she tried to get away 

"Not gonna happen!" i winked and before she knew it, i picked her up and threw her over my shoulder 

damn my sister was heavy! 

"You are heavy Kitkat" i muttered 

she laughed before she realized what i said and began hitting my back 

i laughed 

"What on ear-" said ammi and i smiled at her 

she took in what was going on before breaking into fits of laughter 

"Pu- put her do-down, Iqraam!" she laughed 

"Noope, her one stop is the pool!" i smirked 

the word 'pool' made Iqra whined more 

"NOOOOO- my brand new sundress!!!!" she whined and i laughed 

"We can buy more-" i muttered and she whined 

"What on earth is going on!?!" boomed fathers voice and then he stood infront of me and a whining Iqra 

"Wha- Iqraam put her down!" he said and i grinned 

I turned to see Namaan walking into the outdoor deck and smiled knowingly at him 

"Come on!" i winked before sprinting to the pool

throwing Iqra into it, she surfaced a few seconds later yelling profanities in French 

lucky none understood her except me 

I laughed at her state before i was pushed into the same pool 

the water hit my body sending chills down my spine 

good kinda chills

swimming back to the surface, i playfully glared at Nafaasat who was laughing with Iqra 

Soon enough everyone was into the pool laughing and playing around 

I shook my head to get rid of the water in my hair 

'Stop acting like a dog!" whined Iqra splashing water on me 

i laughed and splashed some back on her 

"Yo brother-" yelled namaan and before i could react, a huge wave of water hit me and i swam up again 

Laughing i created another wave trying to hit Namaan, ended up hitting Nabaahat 

she turned to me and i grinned 

laughing she threw water on me and i went under water and the water splashes hit Nafaasat who was behind me 

swimming underwater, i pulled Namaan down with me and soon we all were swimming under water 

the pool sure was deep 

"Okay times out- out the pool people!!" yelled ammi and we resurfaced again 

"No, a little while longer pleassee" whined Nafaasat and i chuckled pushing water towards her 

Again we all began playing arond with water 

"Guys out the water now!" said father and we stared at him 

nodding, we began swimming to the pool steps 

getting up one by one, we got out of the pool, the air hitting us making us shiver 

ammi handed us towels and i grinned 

she smiled at me 

'Really good bonding time?" she winked and i chuckled 

"I guess its high time we be more of a family" i replied and she grinned before walking away 

"thanks bhai- can i call you that?" asked Namaan standing beside me 

i smiled 

patting him on the back, i grinned 

"Of course-" i said and he grinned 

"So play soccer?" he asked me 

"Nope-" i said 

soccer and me are not good friends 

"Play any sport?" he asked me 

i smirked 

"I race-" i winked and he laughed 

"Death trap" he muttered 

"Come on!" i said when ammi called us in for lunch

this trip will be awesome, i hope. 

smiling we walked into the kitchen for lunch 

Alhamdulillah

++++++++++

Exact 2005 words baby!

thats a first LOL 

Anyways 

the book is renamed as "The billionaire and the Niqabi" 

Lol dont ask why- 

hihiii 

anyways... read comment and vote

love u all heaps 

*Scopian_16